The Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute (BMCRI) has appointed home guards for hospitals under the institution, after a doctor was attacked at Bengalurus Minto Eye Hospital earlier in this month on Karnataka Rajyotsava by a pro-Kannada outfit.

The Medical Education Department took the decision subsequently after the attack on a female doctor led to a mass protest by the doctors who demanded safety and justice for them.

As per the reports, 31 home guards would be deployed at Victoria Hospital, Vanivilas Women and Children Hospital, Minto Ophthalmic Hospital, Super Speciality Hospitals and Trauma Care Center. The BMCRI hospitals have upgraded their security measures and will now have surveillance cameras, public address system (PA) for the doctors to communicate with their colleagues and panic buttons in case of an emergency.

A doctor from Kerala, who was doing her post-graduation at BMRCI, was assaulted at Minto Hospital inside Victoria Hospital campus by the members of Kannada RakshaVedike (KRV) as she could not speak in Kannada. The doctors of Victoria hospital and medical students had held a week-long protest and boycotted outpatient services and elective surgeries at the hospital.

Kannada RakshanaVedike supported a protest held by the people who lost their eyesight after cataract surgeries held in July at the hospital. Around 24 patients had developed severe infections following the surgery and two of the patients lost their eyesight. Adispute broke out between the KRV activists and the doctor, resulting in the assault.

Dean of BMCRI Dr HS Satish had filed a complaint against the unknown members of the outfit with VV Puram Police, based on which an FIR was filed. He said that the government provides medical seats to students from All India quota and it is unfair to expect the students to learn the local language immediately.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA), Karnataka, also took part in the protest and declared a state-wide bandh of non-emergency services. They demanded the state government to arrest the KRV activists within two days. The strike was called off when the suspects surrendered themselves before the police.

Source: International Business Times