Following a violent incident at Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu, where doctors were allegedly assaulted by the relatives of a deceased patient, the Doctors Association Jammu (DAJ) has strongly condemned the attack and demanded hospital security upgrades.
Dr. Balvinder Singh, President of DAJ, said such incidents could destabilize the entire healthcare system. “If adequate security is not provided, the system is bound to collapse. The government must take this matter seriously,” he said, while highlighting the urgent need for hospital safety and a sense of security among medical professionals.
The incident occurred after a patient died in the emergency department of GMC Jammu. The patient’s attendants reportedly turned violent, blaming the doctors for mishandling the case. As per reports, two junior doctors were physically assaulted.
The situation led to a protest by junior doctors, who alleged that two of their colleagues were beaten. Services at GMC Jammu were disrupted as the staff went on strike demanding safety measures and action against those responsible.
GMC Principal Dr. Ashutosh Gupta told reporters that the patient, Rajinder Kumar, had earlier been treated at PGI Chandigarh and discharged from there. He was admitted to GMC Jammu on July 11 after undergoing a tracheostomy and remained stable for a few days. On Wednesday, his condition deteriorated, and he passed away due to complications.
Dr. Gupta stated, “One of the female doctors sustained a leg injury and has been admitted for treatment.” He confirmed that CCTV footage clearly shows the assault on the doctors.
He also said that the patient’s attendants wrongly blamed doctors for negligence. “This is not true,” he said. “The PGI had already diagnosed a poor-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage and stated clearly that the prognosis was poor.”
He added that despite the doctors’ best efforts, the patient’s condition worsened suddenly. “He was already critically ill, and our PGI had clearly mentioned his prognosis as poor. This assessment wasn’t ours; it had come from PGI,” he explained.
Dr. Gupta further said the patient began aspirating during treatment, prompting doctors to respond quickly. “It was a critical situation. He arrived in an emergency condition, and it wasn’t a routine consultation. This was not an elective procedure,” he clarified.
