Controversy erupts at Etawah Hospital after patient alleges doctor spat gutka

Etawah: A controversy erupted at a district hospital in Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, after a man alleged that a doctor spat gutkha on him when he visited the facility to receive an anti-rabies injection after being bitten by a monkey.

The allegation led to a heated argument in the emergency ward, after which the man called the police helpline 112, prompting police personnel to visit the hospital to address the situation.

The dispute began when the man, who had travelled from Rajasthan, reached the hospital seeking immediate post-exposure treatment for the monkey bite. According to him, the doctor on duty in the emergency ward was chewing gutkha during duty hours and refused to administer the anti-rabies injection after he objected, leading to a confrontation between the two.

According to a report by Newsnine, the patient alleged that during the argument, the doctor spat gutkha on his face and challenged him to take any action he wanted. The disagreement quickly escalated, prompting the man to call the police for assistance from inside the hospital.

When the police arrived, they tried to persuade the man to take the anti-rabies injection. However, he refused to accept the shot from the same doctor, claiming he feared the doctor might poison him after the argument. The whole incident created discomfort for the patients in the emergency ward for nearly half an hour.

The man again contacted the police helpline and alleged that the officers who had first responded were supporting the hospital staff and not helping him properly. After the second complaint, Suresh Kumar, the in-charge of the Motijheel outpost under the Civil Lines police station, reached the hospital and attempted to convince him to take the injection. 

Despite repeated attempts by the police and hospital staff, the man continued to refuse treatment. Officials later said the man appeared to be intoxicated, after which he was taken into custody.

Reports identified the man as a resident of Khatu Shyam in Rajasthan. He had reportedly travelled to Lucknow for work and was on his way back home. After reaching Etawah Railway Station, he stepped out to a nearby shop when a monkey bit his left hand. He then went to the district hospital for treatment, where the argument with the on-duty doctor took place.