Patna: Healthcare services at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) were disrupted on Tuesday after nurses staged a work boycott over the alleged assault of a colleague and the death of a patient. Although the nurses later resumed duty following assurances from the hospital administration, the PMCH Junior Doctors Association (JDA) announced an indefinite strike from Tuesday evening.
The strike has affected outpatient departments (OPDs), general wards and operation theatres. Emergency services, intensive care units (ICUs), labour rooms and emergency operation theatres, however, will continue to function.
Nurses End Protest After Assurances
The nurses’ protest temporarily brought emergency services, operation theatres and several other hospital functions to a standstill.
Hospital Superintendent Rajiv Kumar Singh met the protesting nurses, who had gathered on the PMCH campus despite heavy rain, and assured them that action would be taken against those found responsible for the incident. Following the assurance, the nurses withdrew their protest and resumed work.
Junior Doctors Begin Indefinite Strike
Soon after the nurses returned to work, the PMCH Junior Doctors Association announced an indefinite strike, citing the incident involving junior doctors and the family of the deceased patient.
The association said routine services, including OPDs, general wards and elective operation theatres, would remain suspended until further notice. Emergency medical services and critical care units have been kept outside the scope of the strike.
Seven-Member Inquiry Committee Formed
The Bihar Health Department has constituted a seven-member committee to investigate the incident.
According to Superintendent Rajiv Kumar Singh, the committee has been directed to submit its report within seven days.
The panel comprises Kumari Manju, head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Dinesh Kumar from Urology; Vinay Kumar from Surgery; Rajan Kumar and Pankaj Hans from Medicine; Rajiv Anand from Orthopaedics; and senior nurse Ahilya Kumari.
Dispute Followed Patient’s Death
The protest follows the death of 55-year-old Arvind Singh, who was admitted to PMCH for treatment. He was the husband of Lakshmi Kumari, a senior nurse who has worked at the hospital for two decades.
Family members alleged negligence in his treatment, claiming he did not receive timely medical care and that his condition deteriorated despite undergoing dialysis during his admission.
According to the family, an altercation broke out after they raised concerns over the treatment. They alleged that junior doctors assaulted the deceased’s two sons after locking them inside a room and also assaulted a nurse who intervened. These allegations have not been independently verified.
The confrontation created tension on the hospital premises for several hours and prompted nurses to demand action against those they held responsible.
Patients Face Disruption
The disruption affected patients seeking treatment throughout the day.
Nitish Kumar, a patient from Danapur, said he was unable to obtain a stretcher during the protest. “Strikes are frequent at this hospital. Patients suffer, yet there is no one to listen to their grievances,” he said.
Hospital authorities are expected to take further action after the inquiry committee submits its findings.
