Kerala police on Friday seized two people for assaulting a duty doctor and a security guard at the Fort Taluk hospital here. Thiruvananthapuram natives Rafeek (35) and Rasheed (40) were caught on the basis of the complaint lodged by the doctor Malu Murali.
“The accused are habitual offenders and are usually involved in brawls with others. It seems like they got into a fight with somebody and reached the hospital to get their bleeding treated. The doctor gave us the statement that they assaulted her and formed a ruckus in the hospital,” police said. The hospital staff on Friday boycotted outpatient services challenging the attack on the health workers.
The offenders reached the hospital on Thursday night to treat their wounds. However, they got into a brawl with the hospital staff and assaulted them, hospital sources said.
“As a physician I asked them how they got harmed. They refuse to answer. I asked them to wait as I was attending to another patient. They denied and asked me to treat them first. They twisted my arm hurting me and also hit the guard who came to save me,” Murali told the media. At the same time, state minister V Sivankutty visited the hospital premises, met the protesting staff and assured them that the culprits will be brought to justice.
The hospital staff claimed a police aid post in the hospital and also a CCTV surveillance support inside the premises to avoid such untoward incidents. “The government is viewing the assault against the healthcare workers with utmost seriousness. We will take strict measures against the culprits. This cannot be avoided,” Sivankutty told the media.
He also said that the government will consider the demands of the hospital staff on developing the security inside the premises.
