Chennai Shocker: Government Doctor Stabbed Multiple Times by Patient's Son at Kalaignar Centenary Hospital

Chennai Shocker: A critical injury was meted out on a doctor specialising in oncology by a relative of a patient at Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital (KCSSH) in Guindy today, as The Indian Express reports.

The attack suffered in the oncology department has now been followed by protests by medical professionals demanding action to be taken in terms of taking up safety and staffing conditions in government hospitals.

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An engineering graduate, 26, from Perungalathur and his three friends sent shockwaves through the medical community on Thursday afternoon when they attacked a doctor at the Government Peripheral Hospital in Chromepet with pistols, leading to serious injury to Dr. Balaji Jagannath. The attack by Vignesh on Dr. Jagannath, 38, came when he was on duty at around 10.30 am with his mother, who is undergoing cancer treatment. Police said that the group had a heated argument with Dr. Jagannath over the woman's deteriorating condition when Vignesh accused the doctor of negligence.

The skirmish escalated further when Vignesh allegedly went for the kitchen knife and stabbed Dr. Jagannath in the neck and upper body. The hospital staff and bystanders rushed him to the ICU in a critically injured condition. The attacker was caught, and four others, including Vignesh, were taken into police custody for further questioning.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin condemned the attack, terming it "shocking" and vowed to ensure Dr. Jagannath receives "necessary treatment."

“Doctor working at Kindi Kalyan Centenary Hospital Mr. Shocking incident where Balaji was stabbed by a family member of the patient. The person involved in this atrocity was immediately arrested. Doctor Mr. I have ordered Balaji to give them all the necessary treatment and to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident,” Stalin wrote in a post on X.

“The selfless work of our government doctors is immeasurable in providing appropriate treatment to the patients who seek government hospitals regardless of time. It is our duty to ensure their safety during this work,” he noted, adding that,” The government will take all measures to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.”

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But the attack has reopened a new debate on the need for health personnel in the state's public health delivery systems. As of October 2024, around 30% of the sanctioned posts of doctors in government hospitals in Tamil Nadu remain vacant - a deficit of 5,000 out of 18,000. The same will be further heightened by early 2025 as most doctors leave for PG studies.

The doctors' associations demanded an emergency intervention to bridge, what they described as deep gaps in the provision of personnel in the public hospitals, which deepen stress and conflict in the hospitals. “Patients and bystanders who come here are already in distress. The workload makes doctors helpless, failing a system that is supposed to be informed and coordinated. If the government appoints an adequate number of doctors, things will improve significantly,” said a senior doctor in Chennai, who spoke on condition of anonymity, The Indian Express reported.

Doctors at KCSSH have been protesting and withdrawing some nonemergency services as a form of retaliation after the attack. The professionals are asking for better security measures as well as calling on the government to take proper action to improve staffing in the public hospitals.

Currently, Dr. Jagannath is under surgery and remains in a critical condition. Police are continuing the investigation into the incident.

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