Patient’s Death Sparks Doctor Attack and Protests in Lucknow
A group of people, reportedly relatives of a patient who passed away during treatment at a private hospital in Lucknow, allegedly assaulted the hospital owner, blaming him for the death. A video of the incident has surfaced on social media.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Anshu Jain stated that an FIR has been filed against unidentified individuals, and an investigation is ongoing. The complainant, Dr. Ravi Dev, runs a hospital in Gomti Nagar Extension. The police are reviewing the videos to identify the attackers. Dr. Dev claimed he did not know the people who assaulted him.
The patient, Shyam Kumar Singh from Banthara, Lucknow, had neurological issues and was admitted to Dr. Dev’s hospital two days before his death on Tuesday. Enraged by his passing, Singh’s family members attacked Dr. Dev, accusing him of negligence. They thrashed and misbehaved with him, alleging his death was due to the doctor’s negligence.
Following the assault, the Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) Lucknow Branch organized a protest march, demanding the immediate arrest of the culprits. They submitted a memorandum to DCP East, warning that failure to apprehend the attackers could lead to a statewide strike by doctors.
On Thursday, after a governing body meeting, 150 doctors marched from the IMA building in River Bank Colony to Shaheed Smarak. IMA secretary Dr. Sanjay Saxena, former IMA President Dr. P.K. Gupta, and senior member Dr. Ashutosh Verma stressed that such incidents deeply disturb doctors and could deter them from admitting patients needing critical care.
On the night of the assault, family members of Shyam Kumar Singh, who died during treatment, attacked neurosurgeon Dr. Ravi Dev, accusing him of negligence. The hospital’s CCTV captured the assault, and the videos went viral on social media.
DCP East Zone, Prabal Pratap Singh, said six teams had been formed to raid possible hideouts of the accused for arrest. Meanwhile, Dr. Akanksha Banswar, a cosmetic surgeon and assistant to Dr. Dev, said Dr. Dev was admitted to a private hospital in Chowk and was undergoing treatment.
Recalling the incident, Dr. Banswar explained that Shyam Kumar Singh had undergone surgery for a hematoma at another hospital and was admitted to the ICU in Dr. Dev’s hospital on July 18 in an unconscious state. Despite his critical condition, the medical team conducted investigations and administered necessary treatment. On the third day, Singh’s pulse rate increased, and despite efforts to revive him, family members interrupted the therapy, leading to a heated argument. This crucial time for revival was lost, and the family members brutally assaulted Dr. Dev and other staff members.
