Chennai government hospital doctor stabbed by patient’s son | India News – Times of India

CHENNAI: The head of the oncology department of the state-run Kalaignar Centenary Super-Specialty Hospital was stabbed multiple times in his consulting room on Wednesday by a man who was allegedly unhappy with the treatment his mother was receiving.
Dr. Balaji Jaganathan suffered serious injuries to his scalp, head, neck, back and ear. He was rushed into surgery. “His condition is stable. He will be monitored in the intensive care unit by a team of doctors,” hospital director Dr L Parthasarathy said.
The attack sparked protests from doctors and paramedics at the hospital and other medical facilities. The Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association demanded quick action against the attacker and called for stronger security and a central law to protect medical workers from violence. A flash attack hit the services except in emergencies.
Attacker tried to escape after attack but was captured by hospital staff
This came amid growing demand from doctors across India for better protection and legal safeguards against violence, especially after the rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata on August 9. Jaganathan’s attacker, identified as M Vignesh, was arrested by the hospital. personnel as they tried to flee. The holder of the automotive engineering diploma was later remanded in custody.
Police said his mother Prema Manoharan was an advanced cancer patient who had received six rounds of chemotherapy and palliative care at the hospital. Her condition worsened at home three days ago. According to Parthasarathy, the attacker had visited the hospital a day before the attack, where he got into an argument with oncologist Jaganathan.
On Wednesday, Vignesh took an outpatient slip, waited for his turn and once inside the doctor’s office, he locked the door and launched a vicious attack with a kitchen knife. He threw the blood-stained knife away on the hospital grounds and tried to escape.
Opposition parties condemned the attack while criticizing the DMK government’s handling of law and order in the state and its “failure” in protecting doctors in medical institutions. In response, Deputy Prime Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin visited the hospital and assured the staff and medical community that the government would take strict action against the attacker.
Chennai Police Commissioner A Arun also visited the hospital and announced that security would be increased. Health Minister Ma Subramanian reaffirmed the government’s commitment to safety and pointed to recent measures to improve hospital safety, such as the installation of CCTV cameras in more than 2,000 primary health centers in Tamil Nadu in recent months.