The Belagavi city police arrested 14 persons on charges of creating disturbance at the district COVID-19 hospital and setting fire to an ambulance on the hospital premises on Thursday. Most of them are relatives of the man who died of severe acute respiratory infection and cardiac disease on Wednesday night. Some of them are friends of the family from Ghee Galli in Belagavi.
A relative of the patient, however, told the police that the 67-year-old man died because of “medical negligence”. The patient was admitted on July 19, but till Wednesday evening no doctor attended to him, he alleged. A relative who was on the hospital premises learnt that the patient was suffering from breathlessness on Wednesday evening. He then tried to speak to some doctors, but they did not respond in time, it was alleged. A junior doctor and a nurse took the patient to the intensive care unit after sometime. He was, however, brought back within minutes and declared dead, the relative told a police officer in the APMC police station.
Following this, irate relatives started throwing stones and burnt the van, the police officer said.
Strike by staff
Hospital staff on Thursday went on a strike, seeking protection. They boycotted work and stood outside the hospital. They alleged there were no police personnel at the hospital at the time of violence. They alleged that the relatives of the deceased assaulted the staff on duty and tried to intimidate doctors.
The staff resumed their duties after Deputy Commissioner M.G. Hiremath assured them of providing round the clock security and initiating strict legal action against the attackers.
DC’s appeal
Mr. Hiremath told journalists that a district armed police van would be stationed at the hospital at all times. He appealed to people not to resort to violence in case of death of patients in hospitals.
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