Doctors & KRV protest against each other over attack on woman doctor

Doctors and members of a regional Kannada group protested against each other on November 5. The protest comes five days after a woman doctor was allegedly assaulted inside a hospital. Doctors at the Minto Hospital have been protesting for four days and demanding action against the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike group.

The regional group also protested against the doctors and allegedly blamed them for carelessness in treating patients.  
According to the doctors, the activists from the Kannada group entered the OPD of the hospital and assaulted a doctor. The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike has refused to admit this allegation.

The members from the regional outfit allegedly asked a female doctor to communicate in Kannada before attacking her on November 1. The Vedike group chief Narayana Gowda also blamed the doctors for the alleged eyesight loss of more than 27 patients. He also further alleged the doctors to have been protesting so that they can escape the cases which have been filed against them. 

"Neither any Karnataka Rakshana Vedike worker entered the hospital nor did they attack anybody. They are the reason behind the loss of eyesight of the poor people," he said. 

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Opposing the alleged attack by the Vedika group members, the protesting doctors stated, "We agree that some people lost their sights but how come we are being blamed for it. A case has been registered against the doctors who treated the patients. Some Vedike people tried to attack a woman doctor on November 1," a doctor protesting against the regional outfit said. 
Adding further he said, "We oppose such attitude and demand concrete action against the Vedike members. Entering the OPD and attacking a doctor on duty is unbearable. We will continue to protest."

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Doctors demand action against the Pharmaceutical company

The doctors also demanded an action to be taken against the pharmaceutical company which supplied the drug that was prescribed to the affected patients. "People lost their sight due to the use of drugs supplied by the pharmaceutical company. Its drug contained some dangerous chemicals. Action must be taken against the pharmaceutical company and the government should be blamed for it," he said. Stepping into the matter, the State's Health Minister Sri Ramulu had earlier urged the doctors to return to duty. 

On of the affected patient who is a tailor by profession stated that his entire eye was affected. "We were treated at Minto Hospital.  We not only lost eyesight but also damage to the eye. That's why we are demanding justice," he said. 

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(With inputs from ANI)