On Wednesday, an on-duty government doctor and associate professor at Chennai’s Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital (KCSSH), was brutally attacked by a patient’s son. The assailant, identified as Vignesh from Perungalathur, stabbed Dr. Jagannath seven times in his neck, ear, chest, head, and abdomen, reportedly over grievances related to the treatment of his mother, Prema, who had been undergoing chemotherapy for cancer at the hospital since May.
The medical oncologist Dr. Balaji Jagannath, was attacked in the outpatient department (OPD) around 10:15 a.m. Vignesh allegedly posed as a hospital employee to gain entry, holding an outpatient pass and accompanied by three others.
Witnesses reported that, after a heated argument over his mother’s treatment, Vignesh locked the door to the OP room and took out a concealed kitchen knife, repeatedly stabbing Dr. Jagannath. Staff intervened, rushing Dr. Jagannath to the ICU, while hospital staff and security personnel apprehended Vignesh as he attempted to flee.
Police took Vignesh and four others into custody for questioning. An official from the hospital shared that the doctor, a heart patient who had recently undergone pacemaker surgery, experienced excessive blood loss likely exacerbated by his heart medication. Dr. Jagannath was resuscitated by a multidisciplinary surgical team, who administered two units of blood and sutured all wounds. His condition remains critical but stable, with doctors closely monitoring his recovery.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin condemned the incident on social media, calling it “shocking” and confirming the immediate arrest of the suspect. “I have ordered to give necessary treatment to the doctor and to conduct a detailed inquiry into the incident,” Stalin stated. He further emphasized the “immeasurable, selfless service” of government doctors and vowed that the government would enhance protections to prevent future attacks.
Hospital security has come under scrutiny, with Health Minister Ma Subramanian asserting that there was no lapse, citing private guards patrolling the hospital’s interior and police guarding the exterior. However, the government has launched an inquiry into the incident.
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