27 August,2010 07:11 AM IST | | Salil Urunkar
Helpless doctors at YCM Hospital demand better security personnel after they almost come to blows with patient's family
Doctors and other hospital staff at Yashwantrao Chavan Hospital (YCM), Pimpri shared some anxious moments when relatives of an injured youth from Kalewadi near Pimpri created a ruckus in the casualty ward last night and got involved in a battle nearing blows.
Doctors alleged that the security guards at the premises were incapable of tackling any kind of attack on the staff and demanded security personnel, who were healthy during the night shift.
Kirteshkumar Tikle (22), a resident of Kalewadi was brought to YCM hospital at 8 pm after unidentified people allegedly belonging to his rival group in Kalewadi assaulted him.
Moments after Tikle was admitted into the casualty ward, around 40 others claiming to be relatives and friends entered the ward and refused to move out.
One doctor told Mid DAY that the relatives were asked to move out of the ward, which only egged them on and they started a verbal skirmish with the on-duty doctor.
"When relatives of Tikle refused to move out of the ward, we had to call the security in-charge of the guards - who also was not able to manage the mob. There were only two guards ufffd in their fifties at the door of the ward who were mute spectators when the ruckus happened," the doctor added.
Doctors in the hospital told MiD-DAY that the security guards provided by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) were "physically unfit" to tackle any attack on their staff and demanded that they be provided with some "healthy"security.
u00a0A doctor, said, "The security during night shifts are on contract basis. Most of them are elderly and retired who never stop relatives of patients from entering the casualty ward. They just keep watching, as people gather in the ward and misbehave with doctors and the staff there."
When asked about police intervention at times like these, another doctor said, "There are a few officials close to the hospital. However, they come into the picture only when a doctor is attacked. Otherwise they don't interfere in regular affairs. Spats, which can escalate to violence have to be managed by us, as the guards don't do anything."
