IGMH orthopaedic services suspended after group threatens doctor

The Department of Orthopaedics of Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) has come to a standstill after an orthopaedic doctor was threatened by a group that demanded a document to allow a patient to obtain treatment abroad under Aasandha.

The State hospital said in a statement issued today that a patient who had undergone a bone operation at IGMH arrived at the hospital this afternoon and threatened a doctor to provide him with a document to allow him to go abroad under Aasandha for treatment.

IGMH said that the hospital told the patient that since the treatment he required is available at IGMH, he would not be granted the document to go abroad under Aasandha. This was followed by a group of about ten people who were in the room with the patient, threatening to attack the doctor if he refused to provide the document.

IGMH said that the incident has left the orthopaedic doctors in distress.

The hospital said that yesterday, the doctor was threatened by the same group of ten people about obtaining the document for another patient. Consequently, the doctor had filled in the form necessary to grant permission to that patient to obtain treatment abroad under Aasandha.

IGMH said that while the hospital is doing its best to provide services despite the numerous challenges it is facing, such activities by patients make the work environment intimidating for those involved, and urged people to refrain from such activities.