The doctors at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai have called off their protests after the Health Secretary of Tamil Nadu agreed to accept their demand to implement the Hospital Protection Act.
More than 1000 doctors had staged a massive protest outside the hospital on Thursday, after a house surgeon was allegedly assaulted by the relatives of a patient in the septic ward.
The doctors had also blocked roads during their agitation, demanding that the Hospital Protection Act be implemented for their safety.
A house surgeon, Ashutosh, was allegedly roughed up by the relatives of a student, Vijay J, from Adhiparasakthi College when they were asked to come one by one to meet the patient instead of crowding the septic ward.
Vijay J was hospitalised after he was allegedly beaten up by the college authorities for Liking a Facebook post which was supposedly against the institution.
From 5pm on Thursday, the doctors protested against the assault of their colleague, demanding action against the relatives of the patient and also the implementation of the Hospital Protection Act.
Speaking to The News Minute on Saturday, Sampath Kumar, a doctor from the hospital, said, “There was a meeting of doctors with the health secretary J Radhakrishnan. He accepted the demands made by the doctors."
Asked about what has been promised to them, Dr Sampath said, “Police protection will be provided to government hospitals 24 hours, CCTV cameras will be installed in the hospitals. Moreover, a committee of 15 members will be formed to keep a check on the problems faced by the doctors. They will be meeting once in 15 days."
Addressing the media on Friday, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan, had said, “If someone threatens, uses unparlimentary words or indulges in violence against the doctors or nurses, the deans can directly give complaints and action will be taken under the Hospital Protection Act.”
Following the agitation, four relatives of the engineering student had been arrested on Friday by the Chennai police for allegedly assaulting the house surgeon in the hospital.