Patient's relative attacks staff member in Byculla hospital

Little did Ramesh Pawra, 25, a contract nursing staff at Babasaheb Ambedekar Memorial Hospital in Byculla know that refusing to give a patient's relative a bed sheet would land him in a hospital bed. Late Friday night, a relative of patient Prakash Satpute, admitted in ward number 2 of the hospital for railway employees, attacked Pawra with scissors.

"When I told him that we provide bed sheets only to patients and not the relatives accompanying them, he got angry and I called the RPF police who asked him to leave. They inormed the city police as well," Pawra said.

But around 3 am on Saturday, the accused entered the hospital premises again, allegedly drunk. "He attacked me from behind, injuring my head," Pawra added. He sustained injuries to his head, neck, and chest and has received several stitches.

Avinash Shingte, senior police inspector, Byculla police station said, "The accused Dattaray Lote will remain in police custody till Monday. He has been booked for causing grievous harm and assault, among other things," he said.

Meanwhile, Satpute, who had been admitted on May 11 for neurological issues, remains bedridden. "I left the hospital at 9 pm after my brother Lote asked me to leave. I don't know what happened after that," Satpute's wife said.
The hospital staff went on a strike following the incident and resumed duty only after assurances from the railway divisional manager that such incidents would not happen again.