Thane Hospital Attack: Shiv Sena Corporator arrested, shifted to hospital after chest pain complaint

Kalyan: In connection with the alleged assault of two doctors at Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporator's (KDMC) Shastrinagar Hospital, a Shiv Sena corporator was arrested by Maharashtra Police on Wednesday, days after the incident triggered protests by doctors and healthcare workers.

Shortly after his arrest, the corporator complained of chest pain and high blood pressure while in police custody. He was subsequently shifted to Thane Civil Hospital for medical treatment. 

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The arrest followed the circulation of CCTV footage showing the corporator and a group of men allegedly assaulting doctors at the KDMC-run Shastri Nagar Hospital on Monday. The footage sparked widespread anger in the medical fraternity, with doctors demanding strict action against those involved.

A viral video showed Mhatre slapping and punching a helpless doctor and banging a register on his head. He is also seen hitting a female doctor on her hand, reports PTI.

According to hospital authorities, the dispute began after a woman underwent a caesarean section for childbirth. Doctors found that the newborn required specialised care as the umbilical cord was wrapped twice around the baby’s neck. However, the hospital’s only emergency Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) was already occupied by another critically ill newborn.

The doctors assured the family that arrangements would be made to shift the newborn to another KDMC hospital with NICU facilities, but the relatives refused and insisted on treatment at Shastrinagar Hospital.

Hospital officials alleged that the patient's relatives later contacted the corporator. When doctors attending to other patients could not respond to his calls, the corporator allegedly arrived at the hospital along with several associates. 

The CCTV footage allegedly showed the group entering the hospital premises and attacking the two gynaecologists. The doctors also alleged that they were verbally abused and threatened during the confrontation. One doctor sustained injuries, while two nurses who intervened to protect the doctors were allegedly pushed and manhandled. 

Medical Dialogues had previously reported that in a shocking incident, two on-duty doctors were allegedly assaulted inside a civic-run hospital in Maharashtra's Thane district after advising the family of a newborn to shift the infant to another medical facility due to a shortage of beds in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Police have booked a Shiv Sena corporator and five others in connection with the incident.

The corporator, however, expressed regret over the incident but denied assaulting the female doctor. "I regret the physical altercation that took place. I state with full confidence that I did not raise my hand against the female doctor. What appears in the CCTV footage might look that way due to the camera angle," he said.

He claimed he regarded the doctor like a daughter and said he had only tapped her hand while attempting to speak to her about the patient’s condition. He also blamed alleged shortcomings in hospital functioning for the confrontation.

Following the incident, the matter was brought to the attention of Municipal Commissioner Abhinav Goyal, after which a police complaint was registered against the corporator and his associates.

Doctors across the Kalyan-Dombivli region launched protests demanding immediate action and said they would not resume routine services until a case was registered and arrests were made. Police subsequently reviewed the CCTV footage and arrested the corporator.

Meanwhile, Thane Lok Sabha MP Naresh Mhaske issued a statement from Delhi, distancing the party from the corporator's actions and confirming that internal disciplinary proceedings have been initiated. "The party has not supported the incident that occurred, nor will it ever support it. The assault was indeed committed by the corporator. Even though he is a senior leader who has been elected five to six times, the party will not condone this behaviour," Mhaske stated, reports India Today.

He added that a show-cause notice had been issued to the accused corporator.

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