Anusha Subba, 19, who was admitted to the hospital´s intensive care unit five days ago after she consumed poison, vanished from the hospital on Sunday night, after which her relatives misbehaved with the hospital staff.
In retaliation, doctors and hospital staff halted medical services early Monday morning and thrashed five of Subba´s caretakers, including two ladies. All services, except emergency have been closed after the incident.
Patients visiting the hospital were turned away. Around 200 to 300 patients visit the hospital every day.
Police officer Chum Bahadur GC said, "When I was inquiring the health officers about the incident, they suddenly attacked the relatives of the missing patient".
The situation worsened after the health workers did not allow the patient´s caretakers to leave. "This happened because the health workers were badly treated," said Bipin Malle, a doctor in the hospital.
As the other patients of the hospital saw the chaos, they panicked and locked themselves inside the hospital rooms to save themselves from being beaten up.
"Where can the patients and caretakers feel safe if the hospital itself is a place for mishaps?" asked Chandi Kumari Gurung, a caretaker. "It was more terrifying when the health workers were thrashed."
According to Malle, the hospital staff´s actions were obvious as mistreatment of nurses in the middle of the night was not acceptable.
The health workers and doctors also misbehaved and threatened the reporters covering the incident. They surrounded a reporter of AV News Channel, Ram Krishna Gyawali, thrashed him. The Kaski chapter of Federation of Nepali Journalists condemned the incident and warned and suggested the doctors and health workers act according to their profession.
Health workers and doctors believe that they are innocent. Those health workers who did not directly involve in the brawl encouraged the fight with applauses.
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