Government doctor stabbed in Chennai by son of patient
Chennai, Nov 13: A medical oncologist at the Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital here was stabbed multiple times on Wednesday by the son of a patient allegedly over grievances regarding the treatment of his mother at the same facility, a hospital official said.
The man assaulted the doctor inside the outpatient room during a conversation regarding his mother's treatment.
He was immediately apprehended by the hospital staff and handed over to the police, and he was arrested.
The doctor is being treated, and he is stable, the official said.
The attack led to an outrage and doctors and nurses gathered in front of the hospital entrance to mark their strong protest.
"We do not have safety while doing our duty," one of the protesting KCSSH doctors said. Government doctors announced a strike and Health Minister Ma Subramanian is set to hold talks with them.
Expressing shock, Chief Minister M K Stalin said the assailant had been arrested and that he had ordered a detailed probe. All steps will be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future, the CM said.
AIADMK chief Edappadi K Palaniswami said there was no security for a 'government doctor in a government hospital,' and it showed the status of the law and order situation.
Palaniswami, the leader of the opposition, sought tough action against the culprit.
BJP state unit chief K Annamalai blamed CM Stalin and the DMK regime over the incident.
Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, alongwith Subramanian, inspected the hospital and assured stringent legal action. They met the oncologist, being treated at the ICU. Later, AIADMK leaders D Jayakumar and C Vijayabaskar also met the doctor under treatment.
The hospital official said the assailant had been identified as Vignesh, a resident of a suburban neighbourhood and his mother Kanchana was the patient.
The victim, Balaji Jagannathan, is a renowned oncologist and is serving as an associate professor in the medical oncology department in the hospital.
Police Commissioner A Arun inspected the hospital and reviewed the security arrangements. He said a police outpost would be set up on the premises.
Udhayanidhi said the assailant had been visiting the hospital for six months for treatment of his mother and there was no suspicion about him.
The Deputy CM said: "For half an hour he (Vignesh) had discussed with the doctor. Based on what he was told in a private hospital, he had taken this decision out of anger. Stern legal action will be taken against him and steps will be taken to prevent recurrence."
The official, an emergency medicine anesthesiologist, told reporters: "He closed the OP room (from inside) and stabbed the doctor in his neck, behind his ear, chest, forehead, on his back, head and stomach. There was huge blood loss. He is a heart patient and has undergone surgery for his heart ailment."
Claiming that he wanted to talk about his mother, Vignesh entered the OP room and since the door was closed it could not be opened immediately and later with the help of security personnel, staff and others, the doctor was brought out.
The oncologist, who had also undergone pacemaker implantation, was resuscitated and immediately operated upon by a multidisciplinary team of surgeons.
The victim bled excessively and his medication for his heart ailment is the likely reason for more blood loss. Two units of blood were transfused and all wounds were sutured. "We have to wait and see for another six to eight hours for his recovery; the oncologist is under anaesthesia," the official added.
The official said the assailant claimed that his mother was provided chemotherapy six times in the hospital. After shifting to a private hospital, they were told that her lungs were affected. The official said exactly what transpired between the victim and the assailant is not clear.
Kalaignar Centenary Hospital in Guindy turns chaotic as duty doctor is stabbed by an unidentified youth. Details awaited.
— DT Next (@dt_next) November 13, 2024
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சென்னை கிண்டி அரசு கலைஞர் நூற்றாண்டு மருத்துவமனையில் பணியில் இருந்த மருத்துவருக்கு கத்திக்குத்து - 4 பேரிடம் விசாரணை. தாய்க்கு சரியாக சிகிச்சை அளிக்கவில்லை எனக்கூறி மருத்துவரை தாக்கியதாக போலீசார் தகவல். தீவிர சிகிச்சை பிரிவில் மருத்துவர் அனுமதி. pic.twitter.com/C1EycwevWT
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Rahul Gandhi joins Haryana Congress leader's 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram
Gurugram (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday joined the 'Sadbhav Yatra' of Haryana Congress leader Brijendra Singh here.
Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, reached Gurugram in the evening and joined the yatra. He also walked some distance with Brijendra, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh and other leaders.
Huge crowds had turned up for the occasion.
Later, Gandhi proceeded to the venue where he addressed a public gathering.
Leader of Opposition in Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other Congress leaders, including Randeep Singh Surjewala, B K Hariprasad, state Congress chief Rao Narender Singh, were also present.
Brijendra Singh had on Thursday said it is a matter of joy for them that Gandhi was joining the 'Sadbhav Yatra' in Gurugram-Badshahpur, "thereby strengthening the Indian National Congress' campaign for brotherhood and harmony".
The 'Sadbhav Yatra' began from Danoda village at Narwana in Jind on October 5, 2025, and has covered 85 of the 90 assembly segments in the state.
The foot march was started by Brijendra Singh, son of Congress veteran Birender Singh, to highlight several national and regional issues.
State Congress chief Rao Narender Singh had asked all party leaders to take part in Friday's event.
Days before his yatra began in October, Brijendra Singh, who narrowly lost the 2024 assembly polls from Jind's Uchana Kalan, accused the ruling BJP of playing "divisive politics" and said that "sadbhav" (harmony) has come under stress in the last decade.
Brijendra Singh was a sitting MP from Hisar for the BJP when he resigned ahead of the 2024 general election and switched over to the Congress. He also alleged that the saffron party creates a wedge in society to achieve its political purpose.
The 'padyatra' has so far covered 85 assembly constituencies in Haryana, traversing more than 2,700 kilometres.
Addressing the public gathering, Brijendra Singh said the yatra is inspired by Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra, where he took the party's vision and values directly to the people of the country.
Singh said the yatra has highlighted issues like "Vote Chori" (vote theft), unemployment, poor law and order situation, agrarian distress, and issues related to government employees, labourers and traders.
"Sadbhav (harmony) and bhaichara (brotherhood), which the BJP is attempting to weaken, are the messages of this yatra," he said, adding that its slogan is "Congress ka haath bhaichara ka saath".
"This yatra is a natural extension of the Bharat Jodo Yatra," Brijendra Singh said.
