Patients bear brunt amid protests in MY Hospital:Emergency patients struggle as staff and JAYS clash; medical fraternity divided, old entry route reopened

Indore’s Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital (MYH) has become the center of unrest, but it is patients who are bearing the brunt. With both JAYS protesters and hospital staff locked in a standoff, emergency patients were being forced to navigate unsafe entry points. Stretcher-bound patients had to be physically lifted up stairs by hospital staff, as the main gate remained partially blocked amid the demonstrations, highlighting the human cost of the ongoing conflict. Patients’ struggle captured on video A video surfaced showing a female patient with both legs in plaster being carried by five to six hospital staff over a staircase after her ambulance was stopped short of the main gate. The woman was visibly distressed, and the incident drew public outrage over the administration’s apparent insensitivity. The video, recorded by JAYS protestor Pawan Dawar, underscored the risks faced by patients amid the ongoing protests. Following the viral video, the hospital administration reverted to its old practice of allowing patients to enter through the emergency unit, a facility that had previously been used for emergencies. Staff counter-protest On Tuesday, members of the MY Hospital Adhikari Karmachari Sanyukt Morcha, representing hospital staff, staged a counter-protest against JAYS, alleging the agitators were disrupting patient care. They are protesting without administration’s permission and creating a nuisance inside the hospital. said Dr. D.K. Sharma. Several doctors’ associations, including the Junior Doctors Association, Medical Officers Association, and Nursing Association, supported the staff protest to ensure uninterrupted patient care. Tense scenes unfolded at the hospital entrance, with both sides shouting slogans. Police had to deploy additional forces and used hospital stretchers as makeshift barricades to prevent clashes. JAYS rejects allegations JAYS national president Lokesh Mujalda rejected the staff’s claims, accusing the administration of using police and employees to suppress the movement. The negligence of the hospital administration has endangered the lives of newborns. This protest is not just about one child but about accountability in the entire healthcare system. he said. Divided medical community While the MGM Medical College Alumni Association extended support to JAYS, the Medical Teachers’ Association stayed away. Other associations like Junior Doctors Association, and Medical Officers Association, supported the staff protest to remove JAYS from hospital premises. Background: the incident that sparked outrage The agitation was triggered by the death of a tribal newborn, known as the “Baby of Manju,” who suffered fatal injuries after rats gnawed her body inside the neonatal unit of MY Hospital. The incident, reported earlier this month, sparked widespread anger and political uproar across Madhya Pradesh. JAYS leaders describe the case as gross negligence and systemic failure in government healthcare, with demands for criminal charges against senior hospital officials at the heart of the agitation.