Irate relatives rough up doc, hospital closed

Damak, August 18:

The relatives of a patient who died at the Damak-based Lifeline Hospital beat up a doctor involved in her treatment and also vandalised the hospital.

Accusing Dr Surya Narayan Shah of carelessness, irate relatives beat him up after one Kamala Subba, 25, of Banjho VDC-2 in Ilam died while undergoing treatment in the hospital today. Shah sustained injuries on his nose and head.

The protesters vandalised an entrance to the Emergency Section, two vans and an ambulance. All services in the hospital have been suspended following the incident. Chairperson of the hospital management committee Sher Bahadur Bhattarai said that the hospital was closed due to insecurity.

Police force was mobilised to bring the situation under control, inspector at Damak Area Police Office Govindaraj Kafle said. Kamala was admitted to the hospital after she had high fever on Thursday.

“I said that Kamala might have had typhoid, however, she was given medicine for malaria and she died after excessive bleeding from her nose,”

Kamala’s husband Birkha Bahadur said. “I was trying my best to save her, but her condition become worse all of a sudden,” Dr Shah said, “The reason behind Kamala’s death is yet to be known.”

Meanwhile, Damak- based health workers’ organisations have condemned the attack on Shah and vandalism in the hospital. The victims said that they would not allow the hospital to reopen until they were compensated. They also demanded Dr Shah’s resignation.

Meanwhile, a meeting held in connection to providing compensation to the family of late Kamala Subba ended inconclusively. The meeting was held in the presence of members of the hospital management committee, family of the victim and representatives of the eight political parties.

The meeting ended inconclusively after the family of the victim demanded Rs 5 lakh as compensation, hospital management committee chairperson Bhattarai said. “We will not take the dead body out of the hospital until our demand is met,” Kamala’s husband Birkha Bahadur said.

Meanwhile, a gang of irate youths attacked inspector Kafle who was involved in maintaining security in the hospital.