We now have to fight for our own safety, say Mumbai doctors

Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital in Sion. Pic/Atul Kamble

A patient and his relative have been booked by Sion police for allegedly assaulting and abusing a doctor who was treating the patient. The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday. Following the registration of the FIR, both the patient and the female relative were detained by the police and are expected to get bail, as the offence is bailable. According to the Sion police, on August 18 at around 3.45 am, a female doctor was dressing the face of a patient named Prasad (second name not known) in Ward 3 of the hospital when the patient, apparently intoxicated, began to scream in pain and verbally abuse the doctor.

Despite the doctor's polite demeanour, the patient misbehaved and engaged in an argument. "At that time, a female relative of the patient confronted the doctor, pressed a cotton swab used on the patient against the doctor, and assaulted her. As a result, the doctor sustained minor injuries, including a scratch on her left hand," an officer said.

Students protest in Mumbai demanding justice for the rape victim in Kolkata. Pic/Anurag Ahire

The patient informed the police that the doctor was not being gentle while dressing his facial injury, causing him increased pain. He claimed that he asked the doctor to be more careful, but when the doctor did not comply, he became angry. The situation escalated into a heated argument, with the patient's female relative joining in, hitting the doctor on the hand and back, and pressing the same cotton swab used on the patient against the doctor. As a result, the doctor sustained minor scratches.

Based on a complaint filed by the medical officer against the patient and his female relative, the Sion police station has registered a case under Sections 115(2), 352, 3(5) BNS, and sections 3 and 4 of the Maharashtra Medical Services and Medical Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2010. According to the police, both the patient and his relative were brought to the police station and were expected to secure bail, as the offence was bailable. The duo was warned not to engage in such behaviour again.

Dr Mohan Joshi, the dean of Sion hospital, provided more details about the incident. He said: "When the patient was referred to the ENT section for further examination, his relatives became agitated when the doctor began writing the prescription. An altercation ensued, during which the doctor was assaulted."
In a statement, Sion hospital condemned the attack, describing it as "alarming" and stressing that the safety of their doctors is "non-negotiable."

The statement read: "There has been an incident of violence in Sion hospital that occurred early this morning involving one of the on-call residents in the ward. A group of 5-6 intoxicated patient attendants threatened and attempted to physically assault her. She also sustained injuries while defending herself. This situation requires immediate attention and the implementation of strict security measures in all hospitals."

This assault comes amid a nationwide uproar over the safety of medical professionals, following the recent rape-murder of a junior trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. The incident has further underscored the urgent need for enhanced security measures to protect healthcare workers across the country.

Dr Akshay More, general secretary of Sion hospital and BMC's Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), said, "While we are already protesting the incident in Kolkata, we now have to contend with an assault on one of our on-duty doctors at Sion hospital. This underscores the gravity of the situation that doctors are facing."

Bakul Naik, another resident doctor at Sion hospital, said, "The doctor who was attacked is from a different department than mine, but this affects all of us. It has come to a point where we have to fight for our own safety. We have been on mass leave for seven days, and the only positive outcome so far is that we managed to register an institutional FIR in the matter on Sunday. I believe the state government needs to provide security to doctors, not just in BMC or civic hospitals, but in all hospitals."

3.45 am
Time when the doctor was attacked

5-6
No. of drunk people with the patient