Coimbatore: Relatives of a Covid patient have been booked for assaulting the public relations officer (PRO) of a private hospital at Sundarapuram here on Thursday, weeks after the patient succumbed to the virus without responding to treatment.
The Podanur police said a 62-year-old resident of Pollachi was admitted to Sree Abirami Hospital on Madukkarai Market Main Road at Sundarapuram on May 24 for Covid-19 treatment.
He died in the hospital on May 29.
On Thursday evening, a police officer said, seven people, who claimed to be the relatives of the deceased, visited the hospital, met a doctor and entered into an altercation with him.
“Later, they snatched the doctor’s mobile phone and ran out.” PRO K Balasubramanian, 45, followed the seven, asking them to stop.
“Four of them assaulted him and threw the doctor’s mobile phone on the road and left the spot in a car.
The entire episode was recorded on the CCTV camera,” the officer said.
Balasubramanian lodged a complaint with the Podanur police, who registered a case under Section 4 (cognisance of offence) of the Tamil Nadu Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2008, and sections 294 (b), 323, 324 and 506 (i) of the Indian Penal Code.
“Relatives of the deceased said they fought with the doctor as the hospital had failed to provide proper treatment to the patient and produce documents for the treatment cost,” the officer said.