Doctors and other employees of government hospitals went on a snap strike in Athani on Wednesday, seeking the arrest of a social activist who is said to have attacked a doctor on duty.
The taluk hospital and other government health care centres remained closed for most of the day as doctors skipped work and sat in dharna seeking the arrest of the accused.
In a complaint submitted to the Tahsildar, members of the Karnataka State Government Medical Officers Association said that Dayanand Waghmore of Bevanur village attacked Basavaraj Ghoolappanavar, doctor on duty in the Athani Taluk Hospital, on Tuesday.
“He abused the doctor, without provocation, assaulted him and threatened to kill him outside the hospital,” the complaint said.
The accused was upset about what he thought medical negligence shown by doctors regarding the treatment given to Sridhar Kamble who was injured in a road accident.
The doctors, however, denied this. They demanded the arrest of the accused under the Karnataka Prohibition of Violence Against Medicare Personnel and Damage to Property Against Medicare Service Institutions Act and other laws.
The protesting doctors submitted a copy of the memorandum to police officers before dispersing.
