A doctor and two nurses at a block primary health centre in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district were allegedly attacked by family members of a patient they referred to a better hospital on Thursday evening.
Five have been areested on the basis of a complaint lodged by the hospital authorities and the patient was shifted to Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital (MMCH) the same evening.
Late on Thursday, 52-year-old Rina Begum was rushed to the Shaktipur BPHC [block primary health centre] with respiratory problems. After a preliminary check-up, the doctor and nurses referred her to MMCH as the BPHC lacked the facility to handle her case.
“The patient had chronic respiratory problems. Her oxygen saturation level had dropped below 80 and she had a high blood pressure. A BPHC is not equipped to treat such a patient…But some of her family members, who were in inebriated state, attacked the hospital staff,” said Prasanta Biswas, chief medical officer of health of Murshidabad district.