Paragraph 1:Paragraph 1: Following a fatal shooting of a patient at GTB Hospital in Delhi, the Residents’ Doctors Association (RDA) has raised serious security concerns and declared an indefinite strike. This underscores the ongoing demand for enhanced security measures in healthcare facilities. Paragraph 2: The incident involved a 32-year-old patient, Riyazuddin, who was shot by an unknown assailant in the hospital’s ward. The patient’s wife suspects a case of mistaken identity. Paragraph 3: The RDA has expressed outrage and frustration over the government’s failure to respond to their repeated pleas for adequate security. They believe that this tragic incident could have been prevented if proper measures had been in place. Paragraph 4: Emergency services at the hospital continue to operate despite the strike, ensuring that patient care is not completely disrupted. However, the RDA demands fundamental security improvements before they resume their duties. Paragraph 5: FORDA President Aviral Mathur has emphasized the urgent need for safety measures, calling for Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and the passage of the Central Protection Bill. FAIMA President Rohan Krishnan has criticized the state of government hospitals in Delhi, describing them as “a land of lawlessness.” Paragraph 6: The incident has also garnered political attention. Delhi Chief Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj has criticized Lt. Governor VK Saxena for the deteriorating law and order situation in the capital, citing the GTB hospital shooting and other violent incidents.
The Residents’ Doctors Association of Delhi’s GTB Hospital has raised serious security concerns following the fatal shooting of a patient. Emergency services remain operational
Vasudha Mukherjee New Delhi
A shocking incident at Delhi’s GTB hospital on Sunday, in which a patient was shot in a ward, has prompted the Residents’ Doctors Association (RDA) to declare an indefinite strike. The strike underscores growing concerns over safety and the long-standing demand for improved security measures.
Patient shot in GTB hospital
The incident took place when a 32-year-old patient, Riyazuddin, was shot dead by an unknown assailant in ward 24 of GTB Hospital on Sunday.
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Riyazuddin was admitted on June 23 and was treated for an abdominal infection.
Riyazuddin’s wife said there was a case of mistaken identity and the shooter had targeted someone else in the hospital.
“I met my husband yesterday. When I reached the hospital, I heard that he had been shot dead. They had come here to kill someone else but accidentally shot my husband dead… A person who was admitted in another ward had made threats against him and it seems that the gunmen were planning to kill him but ended up shooting my husband dead,” she told ANI.
Doctors demand better security
The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) has described the incident as a “mafia-style killing” and stressed the urgent need for improved security measures.
In an official statement, the RDA expressed its frustration that the government has not responded to their repeated calls for adequate security, saying that this tragic incident could have been prevented.
“Our repeated calls for enhanced security have been ignored, leading to this tragic incident. Until the Delhi government ensures a safe environment for everyone in the hospital, we cannot continue our duties,” an RDA spokesperson said.
Emergency care in the hospital continues
According to the RDA, the strike will continue until the Delhi government makes fundamental security improvements and communicates them effectively.
Despite the strike, the hospital’s emergency services remain operational, so that patient care is not completely disrupted.
FORDA President Aviral Mathur stressed the urgent need for safety measures, saying: “The recent incident of violence at GTB Hospital underscores the urgent need for enhanced safety measures for our doctors.”
Mathur also urged the Health Ministry to issue Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to improve safety in major government hospitals and called for speedy passage of the Central Protection Bill in Parliament.
Rohan Krishnan, president of the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), echoed these sentiments and criticized the current state of government hospitals in Delhi, describing them as “a land of lawlessness without governance.”
Political responses to patient’s murder
The incident has also triggered political reactions. Delhi Chief Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj criticized Lt. Governor VK Saxena, alleging that the law and order situation in the capital has deteriorated under his tenure. Bharadwaj highlighted a series of violent incidents in Delhi, including the GTB hospital shooting, and accused the Delhi Police of political manipulation and understaffing.
“LG sir, after your arrival, the law and order situation in Delhi has gone from bad to worse in the last two years. The fear of law among criminals has disappeared. Shooting is going on in hospitals in broad daylight,” Bharadwaj said in a social media post.
Citing data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), he pointed out that Delhi currently has the highest crime rate among all metropolitan cities, with 1,832 crimes per 100,000 population and the highest murder rate among all major cities.
The GTB hospital shooting has highlighted the urgent need for improved security in healthcare facilities. As doctors strike for safer working conditions, the Delhi government is under mounting pressure to address these concerns quickly and effectively.
(With input from the agency)