Balurghat: Patients engage in clashes at hosp

BALURGHAT: Patients engaged in a violent altercation, resulting in one patient being injured after being struck with an iron rod at the Balurghat Hospital on Wednesday. The incident came to light when the injured patient’s relatives began protesting outside the hospital gate.

The injured patient, identified as 64-year-old Phagu Pahan, is a resident of Mahinagar in Balurghat. He was admitted to the hospital’s Medicine ward on Tuesday night after experiencing abdominal pain. According to his family, an argument broke out between Pahan and another patient in the adjacent bed, leading to the altercation.

Pahan sustained injuries on his face and head, which his family claims are serious. They questioned the hospital staff’s role during the incident, prompting the protests.

Police from Balurghat Police Station arrived to control the situation. The police are currently investigating the cause of the dispute. This incident is not the first to stir unrest at Balurghat District Hospital. Previously, tensions escalated when a tribal patient went missing and a minor’s death allegedly due to medical negligence led to vandalism within the hospital premises.

Hospital Superintendent Krishnendu Bikas Bag acknowledged the incident, stating: “We have received the complaint and will speak to the nurse on duty. The matter has been reported to the police and a thorough investigation will be conducted to understand how such a serious incident occurred inside the ward.”