The tension that erupted after the attacks settled nearly six hours later after the victim´s mother Bandana Bista apologized.
The same afternoon, a similar scenario unfolded at Western Regional Hospital in Pokhara after nine-year-old Akriti Gurung died while undergoing treatment. The kin of the deceased girl staged demonstration demanding action against the doctors involved.
The girl had died soon after she was administered anti-rabies injection.
As the demonstration turned violent, police had to lob a few rounds of tear gas shells to contain the situation, leaving patients in the hospital with no choice but to rush to some other hospitals.
These two incidents give a picture of how medical professionals and health institutions have become insecure. Attack against medical professionals and health institutions have, in fact, become common in recent years particularly after the success of Janaandolan II in 2006.
"This is an outcome of the country’s fragile situation," says Dr Chop Lal Bhusal, president of Nepal Medical Association (NMA). "There is a serious crisis of confidence among people these days."
Dr Bhusal believes that a situation of confrontation between people and health professionals may arise time and again as there is a growing sense of mistrust in the country.
"There is a negative attitude prevailing in the country these days," he added.
The pain of losing a near and dear one is understandable. However, organizing an agitation is hardly acceptable.
"In Kanti´s case yesterday [Saturday], the mother of the deceased child apologized for her mistakes," Bhusal says.
But the damage had already been done. The nurses in the hospital stopped work for almost six hours and the two nurses who were physically assaulted probably got the shock of their lives.
"I could not control myself when I learnt that my baby was dead," the bereaved mother, with her eyes welled up with tears, had told the agitating nurses. "I apologize for my mistake."
Doctors and nurses on duty often become target of physical assaults as the kin of deceased persons generally outnumber them. Worse still, other visitors in the hospital join the agitators in many cases, as it is easy to empathize with someone who has lost a dear one.
In a similar case on July 8, 2008, kin of one Narayan Bahadur Shah vandalized Everest Nursing Home in New Baneshwar after Thapa died while undergoing treatment. They alleged that the death was caused due to negligence on the part of the Nursing Home. Two other similar cases have occurred at the Nursing Home since May 24, 2006.
The worst ever case of attack against doctors and health institutions in the country in recent years occurred on May 23, 2006 at the Lumbini Zonal Hospital in Butwal.
A violent mob vandalized the hospital and two dozen other private clinics. The mob also set ablaze an ambulance, alleging that a patient died due to the doctor´s negligence.
Dr Shree Krishna Giri, who was manhandled by the agitators, received serious injuries on his head and neck in the incident.
Health professionals allege that the government is failing to provide adequate security to health institutions. They believe that these kinds of incidents can be effectively checked should the government become little more serious over their safety.
Dr Bhusal suggests that the government introduce Health Sector Protection Act and make necessary arrangement to ensure that police personnel reach health institutions immediately in times of need. "The government has adopted a propagandist approach, but has done nothing substantial in this regard. The government has to be assertive in ensuring our safety,” he says.
koshraj@myrepublica.com
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