Patna: A violent confrontation inside the Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (IGIMS) in Patna on Tuesday triggered widespread unrest after a final-year MBBS student was allegedly assaulted by hospital staff and security guards following a dispute over delayed medical treatment.
The student, identified as Sudhir Kumar from the 2022 MBBS batch, alleged that he was chased, beaten, dragged by his hair and later taken to a security room where he was slammed against a wall by guards and hospital personnel.
The incident sparked outrage among medical students, with more than 150 students reportedly gathering across the hospital premises, moving from the OPD to the Control Room in protest against the assault. Tensions gripped the campus for nearly two hours as students confronted security staff and demanded immediate action.
According to students, the altercation began in the Neurosurgery OPD when Sudhir Kumar brought a relative whose condition was said to be deteriorating rapidly. Kumar reportedly presented his institute ID card and requested hospital staff to expedite the patient’s appointment with a doctor.
However, after a prolonged delay, an argument allegedly broke out between Kumar and a staff member identified as Surendra Kumar Das. Witnesses said the dispute escalated quickly, after which security guards allegedly assaulted the student.
Kumar further alleged that even after the initial confrontation subsided, he was attacked again by another security guard when he later went to seek treatment for himself.
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The IGIMS Resident Doctors Association (RDA) extended support to the students and condemned the incident.
Dr Rajat Kumar, president of the RDA, said the student had been wearing his apron and institute ID card and had clearly identified himself to hospital staff and security personnel before the incident. He alleged that despite repeated requests for medical assistance for himself and his family member, the student was ignored and physically assaulted.
“The entire incident has been captured on CCTV footage. We demand immediate and strict action against those responsible,” he said.
Police from the IGIMS TOP Police Station later arrived on the campus and intervened to calm protesting students.
Following the incident, a delegation of medical students met IGIMS director Dr Binde Kumar and submitted a written complaint demanding the registration of a police case against those involved.
The institute administration said a security guard found prima facie responsible for the assault had been suspended with immediate effect. A high-level inquiry committee has also been constituted to investigate the incident.
Meanwhile, MBBS students and junior doctors warned that they would boycott hospital duties and launch a strike if strict legal action was not taken against all staff members and security personnel allegedly involved in the assault.
