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
— Mahalingam Ponnusamy (@mahajournalist) November 13, 2024
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Bengaluru (PTI): Former Mysuru Urban Development Authority chairman K Marigowda on Thursday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in connection with the MUDA site allotment scam.
Marigowda arrived at the central agency's office in Shantinagar here and recorded his statement.
The ED sleuths had on Wednesday questioned Raichur Congress MP G Kumar Naik, a former IAS officer who had served as the Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru district, and Siddaramaiah’s personal assistant C T Kumar for several hours.
Marigowda had resigned last month as the MUDA chairman citing personal reasons.
Already the Lokayukta police have registered a case against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his wife Parvathi B M, his brother-in-law Mallikarjuna Swamy and others for the allotment of 14 MUDA sites in the Mysuru upmarket against the ‘acquisition’ of 3 acres 16 guntas of Parvathi’s agriculture land in Kesare village.
Earlier, the ED had carried out raids at several locations in Mysuru while probing the money laundering aspect in the MUDA scam on a complaint by activist Snehamayi Krishna.