Kalwa Hospital doctor sent on 30-day leave for allegedly slapping Junior resident doctor

Thane: During a period when resident doctors in the state are actively opposing workplace harassment by their seniors, a case of alleged physical assault and abuse has emerged where a senior doctor at civic-run Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa reportedly slapped a junior resident doctor over admission-related queries of a patient. 

Consequently, the senior doctor has been placed on compulsory leave for 30 days following the allegations of assaulting and abusing his junior colleague at the hospital. 

The dispute between the two doctors arose on Friday in the operating room when they disagreed on whether to refer a patient to a hospital in Mumbai. The disagreement started when the patient arrived late on Thursday, and the junior doctor suggested taking him to a Mumbai hospital, which upset the senior doctor.  

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Following this, the senior doctor questioned why the junior doctor insisted on referring the patient elsewhere. Moments later, the senior doctor slapped the junior doctor in the heat of the argument, TOI reports.

This prompted the resident doctors to take a stand by filing a written complaint to the dean. They alleged that they have been facing regular abuse hindering their professional duties at the hospital. 

In a letter to the dean, the resident doctors stated, “The senior doctor has been doing regular and repeated inhuman acts. All of us have been physically and verbally abused daily, to such an extent that we are unable to carry out our departmental duties to the best of our abilities."

In response to the complaint, the Thane municipal commissioner took action by requesting a comprehensive report from the hospital's dean. This resulted in the senior doctor being placed on a 30-day compulsory leave, and his duties were reassigned to another senior colleague.

However, the resident doctors feel that this action is insufficient, prompting them to express their dissatisfaction and advocate for further investigation into the incident to ensure accountability.

Speaking to HT, a resident doctor said, “While we were expecting more stringent action, he has merely been sent on forced leave. We will request the authorities to look into the matter."

This shocking incident at the hospital has ignited a broader conversation about the treatment of resident doctors within the medical profession. Recently, the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS) conducted its first town hall meeting with resident doctors on Sunday regarding their mental health concerns and conflict with seniors in the workplace. 

Over the past few months, the state has witnessed significant strikes by resident doctors. One of which involved the alleged toxic work culture at the Dermatology Department of Sir Grant Government Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals where 900 resident doctors went on an indefinite strike in support of 21 resident doctors who were on mass leave for 11 days demanding the removal of the Head of the Department (HoD) of Dermatology, reported by Medical Dialogues team.

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