Doctor assaulted at PGI, kin of infant patient booked

A junior resident doctor was allegedly assaulted by attendants of a patient at the Neonatology Intensive Care Unit of Nehru Hospital on the PGIMER premises yesterday.

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On the doctor’s complaint, a case under Sections 121(1), 132, and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) was registered at the Sector 11 police station against Prabhleen Kaur, the mother of a two-month-old baby undergoing treatment at the unit, and her three relatives.

According to Dr Vishnu Jinja, president of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), the doctor was attempting to apply a cannula to the two-month-old patient. After two unsuccessful attempts, the medical team attempted to place the cannula near the neck—a standard practice in such cases. The baby’s mother, allegedly misinterpreting the situation as an attempt to harm the child, left the unit with the infant and returned shortly with her husband and a female relative. Without seeking any clarification, they started assaulting the doctor. The quick response team was alerted, which arrived within 10 minutes and brought the situation under control.

“This act of violence is completely unwarranted and unacceptable,” said Dr Jinja. He said, “While we were well within our rights under Section 26 of the National Medical Commission guidelines to stop the treatment of the patient in question, our doctors continued to provide care, upholding the ethics of the profession.”

“Doctors are here to heal, not to be hurt. The safety of every healthcare worker is non-negotiable,” he stated, reaffirming the ARD’s demand for heightened security measures and institutional reforms.