Indore: 'Rebel' patients seek discharge, take doctors hostage

Indore: All-round distress and frustration during the subsequent lockdown regimes and the prevailing pandemic situation led to a panic-like situation in Index Medical College on Friday evening when a large number of COVID patients created ruckus in the hospital. They were demanding immediate discharge. Moreover, the agitating patients also took two duty doctors 'hostage' in the ward for more than half-an-hour and four PG students fled the wards in order to save themselves.

After the situation went out of control, the hospital administration had to inform the police.

Meanwhile, agitating patients alleged that the hospital staff had kept them in the hospital unnecessarily for the last several days "even as they had recovered and do not have any problem.

“Many patients who were admitted after us have been discharged from the hospital. We asked them to release us as we did not have any symptoms or any problems but they have turned down our pleas,” agitating patients said. They also alleged that some of them have even completed 14-15 days in the hospital.

Meanwhile, the administrative official of Index Medical College Nitin Gothwal said, “They were all positive and had created ruckus and even kept the doctors hostage. Our staff had to flee as they were agitating and had gheraoed the corridor.”

He said the decision to discharge patient(s) was taken by the nodal officer deployed by the administration. “We send the reports to them and they have to take a decision on patients' discharge on the basis of health status and guidelines,” Gothwal said.

Later, police pacified the patients and also warned to lodge FIR against them.

56 patients discharged

Fifty-six patients were discharged from three city hospitals on Friday. Thirty patients were discharged from Index Medical College, 25 from Choithram Hospital and 1 from MRTB Hospital. All discharged patients expressed their gratitude towards the doctors and staff of the hospitals and thanked them for saving their lives. More patients would be discharged from Sri Aurobindo Hospital on Saturday.

Residents protest against health centre again

Residents of Suyash Vihar staged demonstration against Urban Primary Health Centre at Suyash Vihar Colony on Friday. They alleged that no social distancing was followed by the people coming to the health centre. They had protested against the centre, a couple of day ago as well.

Residents said that they will launch a protest against the centre till it was shifted.