Doctor "attacked" by suspected COVID-19 patient's kin in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Apr 14 () In another case of healthcarepersonnel being attacked while on COVID-19 duty, a doctor wasallegedly assaulted by the son of a man under quarantine at ahospital here following a quarrel after two others in the wardtested positive for the infection, hospital officials said.

Amid the drama, the man managed to give the slip, but wastraced from a nearby area, Medical Superintendent of theOsmania General Hospital said.

Police, however, said they have registered a case on acomplaint that a doctor was allegedly threatened by theattendants of the suspected COVID-19 patient followingarguments.

According to the Superintendent, relatives and the 55-year old man, admitted to the isolation ward on Monday,demanded that he be discharged after two other people in thesame ward tested positive for coronavirus.

During a wordy duel, the patient's son allegedly attackeda junior doctor on duty, he said. "The suspected COVID-19 patient and his son wanted to goaway from the hospital despite being counselled that he willnot be discharged as his medical report was awaited," theofficial said adding the patient later "absconded" from theward, but was traced near the hospital.

The junior doctors demanded enhanced security at thehospital, a representative of theTelangana Junior DoctorsAssociation (TJUDA) said. In the wake of the incident, it was also decided by thehealth authorities to shift all the suspectedCOVID-19 cases,including the 55-year old man, to the Gandhi Hospital, thedesignated facility for the coronavirus cases.

On April 1, a duty doctor and staff at Gandhi Hospitalwere allegedly assaulted by the kin of a 49-year-oldcoronavirus patient, who died while undergoing treatmentthere. VVKVS VS