Security guards, attendants clash at GMC Anantnag

Anantnag, Aug 08: A scuffle broke out between security guards and attendants of an elderly patient, who died due to alleged medical negligence at Government Medical College (GMC), Anantnag on Thursday. The college authorities, however, came up with a detailed clarification, refuting the allegations.

The family members of a 90-year-old female patient alleged that she was removed from oxygen support and shifted to a casualty ward where she died. Following the death, the attendants of the deceased patient blamed the hospital authorities for negligence, which resulted in a scuffle between the attendants and private security guards of the hospital.

While issuing a clarification, the college authorities said that at approximately 9.55 AM, the hospital's security personnel were clearing the wards for routine medical rounds. The patient in question was suffering from Dilated Cardiomyopathy with severe LV systolic dysfunction and was under close medical supervision. During this time, the security personnel requested that the number of attendants in the ward be minimised, as per standard protocol.

“However, the attendants of the patient, numbering more than a dozen, reacted aggressively to this request. They began assaulting the elder security guard on duty. A Senior Resident (SR) who was present in the ward attempted to intervene and pacify the situation, but was also physically manhandled by the attendants. Senior consultants rushed to the scene to de-escalate the situation, but they too were not spared,” reads a statement.

According to the statement, in defence, the Postgraduate (PG) students stepped in to protect the senior doctors from further harm. Unfortunately, amidst this chaotic situation, the patient, who was already in a critical condition, was taken out of the ward by her attendants against medical advice (AMA). Despite the patient requiring continuous oxygen support, she was removed from the ward without it.

The statement said that the Medical Superintendent and Casualty medical officers somehow brought the patient back inside the Casualty section but she had already expired due to her prolonged illnesses.