Attack on intern at SVIMS sparks major protest

Tirupati: The attack on a female intern at Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) on Saturday has ignited a major controversy, leading to a strong response from resident doctors.

The incident occurred when a patient, identified as Bangarraju, who was on a pilgrimage to Tirumala, suddenly became aggressive and pushed the intern on duty, resulting in a minor injury.

SVIMS Director-cum-Vice-Chancellor Dr R V Kumar, told The Hans India that the patient, who was on a pilgrimage to Tirumala along with his family, had been diagnosed with a conversion disorder on Saturday and was unconscious.

He was shifted to SVIMS in an unconscious state only and regained consciousness only to assault the doctor before collapsing again. He is currently on ventilator and cardiac support, with his condition described as grim.

In the aftermath of the attack, resident doctors at SVIMS immediately staged a sit-in protest in front of the casualty building, which continued until the early hours of Sunday.

The protest was temporarily halted after TTD Executive Officer (EO) agreed to convene a meeting on Monday morning to address their grievances. Although the doctors returned to their hostels, they resolved to attend only emergency cases until their demands are addressed.

The resident doctors’ protest is also part of a broader movement in solidarity with their counterparts in Kolkata, where a female resident doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was brutally murdered. Despite resuming their duties two days ago following the Supreme Court’s advice, the residents at SVIMS continued their protest, raising additional demands for improved working conditions and security.

Saturday’s incident has added fuel to the fire, with the doctors now insisting on immediate action to enhance security at SVIMS. They have demanded a written assurance from the TTD EO addressing their concerns and have threatened to resume their protest if their demands are not met. TTD Joint Executive Officer (Health & Education) M Gowthami arrived at SVIMS late at night on Saturday and held discussions with the doctors until early Sunday morning.

SVIMS Director Dr R V Kumar, confirmed that a meeting has been scheduled for Monday at 11.15 am where representatives of the resident doctors will present their demands. Among their key concerns are the implementation of a Code Grey protocol for incidents of violence against doctors, beefed-up security measures and improvements in facilities for duty doctors and students within the Emergency Medicine Department (EMD).

The resident doctors have also served a notice to the SVIMS Director, TTD EO and JEO, outlining their demands, including a clear timeline for the implementation of the proposed measures.

They have warned that if their demands are not addressed satisfactorily during Monday’s meeting, they will continue their strike actions, further intensifying the situation at SVIMS.