Tamil Nadu doctors suspend services in protest against deadly attacks on medical workers

The Tamil Nadu Government Doctors' Association's Coimbatore branch announced on Nov 14 that all operations, outpatient care, and other non-emergency medical services will be suspended in the district in response to two deadly attacks on doctors in Chennai that occurred within hours of one another.

At around 9:30 am, doctors and house surgeons will protest against the violence targeting medical workers in front of the dean's office at Christian Medical College & Hospital (CMCH).

In the first case, Dr. Balaji Jaganathan, an oncologist from Chennai, was seriously injured on the morning of Nov 13 at the Kalaignar Centenary Super-Speciality Hospital in Guindy after being attacked by a patient's attendant.

The attacker, Vignesh from Perungalathur, took an outpatient slip at around 10:15 am and waited to meet Dr. Balaji.

He locked the door after entering the consulting room and then attacked, repeatedly stabbing the doctor with a kitchen knife.

According to preliminary investigations, the suspect's mother had been treated for cancer at the same hospital from May to November of this year.

The defendant allegedly plotted to take revenge on the doctor for his mother's poor treatment outcome, with the help of three other people.

"Dr. Jaganathan is currently undergoing surgery and remains in critical condition. He has suffered multiple injuries to the scalp, head, neck, and ear. We are assessing the injuries. His condition is critical," said Hospital Director Dr. L. Parthasarathy.

The Service and PG Doctors' Association called for prompt action against the attacker and condemned the attack. The hospital's doctors went on strike, restricting services to emergencies only.

A thorough investigation into the alleged stabbing of the on-duty doctor has been ordered by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin.

"A shocking incident where a doctor working at Kalaignar Centenary Hospital, Mr. Balaji, was stabbed by a family member of the patient. The person involved in this atrocity was immediately arrested. I have ordered that Mr. Balaji be given all necessary treatment and that a detailed inquiry be conducted into the incident," CM Stalin wrote on social media (X).

"The selfless work of our government doctors is immeasurable in providing appropriate treatment to the patients who seek care at government hospitals, regardless of the time. It is our duty to ensure their safety while performing this work," Stalin added.

"The government will take all measures to prevent such incidents from happening in the future," he said.

A few hours later, a mentally challenged person attacked Dr. P. Hariharan, a psychiatrist at Government Stanley Hospital, in a second incident.

According to authorities, Dr. Hariharan, 49, is an assistant professor in the hospital's Department of Psychiatry.

He encountered S. Bharath, 24, on Nov 13 while caring for patients in the department's outpatient unit.

After a brief argument between Bharath and Dr. Hariharan, Bharath hit Dr. Hariharan.

Dr. Balaji, the principal of Stanley Government Hospital, then filed a complaint at the Washermenpet police station. The incident is under investigation by the police.

According to preliminary investigations, Bharath had previously spent a month receiving treatment at the same hospital the previous year. The police are actively searching for the attacker.