Bhubaneswar: Security has been stepped up with the deployment of additional police force at Capital Hospital in Bhubaneswar following an assault on an on-duty doctor.
Sources said personnel of the Commissionerate Police are conducting overnight patrols in and around the hospital complex to prevent further incidents.
The move follows an attack on a third year PG student of the department of orthopaedics at PGIMER and Capital Hospital by a patient’s relative recently. The doctor, identified as Janmanjeya Mishra, sustained fracture in fingers due to the assault, while another staff was also injured. Police have arrested one of the accused, though another remains at large, raising concerns over staff safety.
Angry over the incident, members of the Junior Doctors’ Association staged a silent protest and wore black badges. They maintained that repeated attacks have made hospital duty increasingly unsafe.
The association had also demanded immediate security measures at the hospital to prevent any further assault and to ensure their safety while on duty.
As per police sources, additional force deployment has been ordered and constant surveillance is being maintained within the hospital premises.
The Junior Doctors’ Association cautioned that failure to introduce permanent security measures would trigger a larger agitation. They have demanded police deployment in critical departments, saying the current threat environment is untenable.
Following the incident, Health Secretary Aswathy S had also visited Capital Hospital to review the situation and held discussions with doctors and hospital authorities. She had assured the doctors that concrete steps would be taken to ensure the safety of hospital staff.
