Six children have reportedly died due to lack of medical aid at a government hospital in Hyderabad as doctors continued a flash strike demanding suspension of a legislator for allegedly attacking them. The situation took a serious turn at the Niloufer Children’s Hospital with the children’s death. The parents of the children alleged that they died due to lack of medical care. The condition of several children is stated to be critical. Hyderabad district collector Chandravadan, however, denied any child died due to lack of medical aid.
Mothers of the dead children were seen wailing over the bodied while the angry parents of the seriously ill clashed with security personnel and staff members. Those who can afford treatment in private hospitals hurriedly moved their loved ones.
More than 250 junior doctors of the Niloufer, joined by their counterparts from other government-run hospitals in the city, spent the night on the road demanding that the police file an attempt to murder case against Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) legislator Afsar Khan and also his suspension from the assembly. They were proceeding towards assembly building to demand the legislator’s suspension when the police stopped them. The protestors sat there throughout the night and continued their protest on Monday, throwing traffic out of gear in the heart of the city.
The trouble began at the hospital on Sunday when Afsar Khan and MIM activists attacked duty doctors for the alleged delay in giving treatment to a child. According to the doctors, Junaid Khan, a MIM activist, admitted his one-year-old daughter as she was suffering from respiratory problem. Angry over the alleged delay in treatment of the baby, Junaid and his relatives reportedly created a ruckus. Police arrested Junaid on a complaint by the doctors.
Afsar Khan, who was also involved in the attack on controversial Bangladeshi author Tasleema Nasreen at a function in Hyderabad in August, and one of his supporters were arrested late on Sunday night but were later released on bail. The legislator, who was booked for assault and criminal intimidation, denied that he and his supporters attacked any doctor. He said they were only trying to persuade them to withdraw case against MIM worker.
Minister for Medical Services Galla Aruna Kumari and Minister for Labour Mukesh Goud met the protesting junior doctors and urged them to withdraw the strike. Both promised the doctors that they would facilitate a meeting with assembly speaker K.R. Suresh Reddy so that they can place their demand before him.
But the doctors refused to budge unless the speaker came to meet them. The junior doctors’ association has threatened to make it a state-wide agitation if the legislator was not suspended.