The Vashi police have registered a criminal case against a mob which allegedly went on a rampage, ransacked a hospital, smashed the fixtures and furniture and also beat the staff at the hospital over the death of a patient on August 11.

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An offence of rioting has been registered against the mob of relatives of a patient, who died at the hospital in Vashi in Navi Mumbai on August 11, police said. The victim's relatives claimed the hospital staff was lethargic due to which the patient died. The hospital, in a statement released late night, said that the patient in question was brought to the hospital this morning with a complaint of breathlessness.

The release further said, “The said patient was brought into the emergency room in the early hours today; immediately the medical team started assessing him. While the assessment was underway, his family members enquired about hospitalisation, it was communicated to them that all critical care beds were full. Before we could assist the family with the next steps, the patient collapsed; this occurred within 3 minutes of the patient’s arrival into the emergency room. Immediately, lifesaving procedures were initiated, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was administered, but the patient could not be revived. The patient’s family reacted aggressively to the news of loss of their family member, the patient’s family members vandalised the hospital and physically assaulted the hospital staff, by causing grave
injury.

"Presently, our medical staff and front line workers who attempted lifesaving measures to save the patient are intimidated and traumatised with the behaviour of the patient's family. In order to keep up patient safety and wellbeing of our medical & non-medical staff, we have escalated the said incident to the police," it added. "We strongly condemn the behaviour exhibited by the aforesaid patient’s attendants; their actions have had repercussions on our COVID front-liners as well as other critical patients admitted with us," the release stated.