Caught on camera: GMC Srinagar 3rd year PG medico slapped by patient's attendant
CCTV Footage
Srinagar: In a disturbing incident, a third-year postgraduate resident doctor from the Medicine Department at Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital, affiliated with Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar, was allegedly brutally assaulted by a patient's attendant following the patient's death. CCTV footage from the hospital's emergency ward, which has gone viral on social media, shows the attendant slapping the doctor inside the ward.
Sources told Medical Dialogues that the doctor, originally from Bihar, is physically handicapped, and the impact of the slap was so severe that he almost collapsed on the ground after being hit.
The incident took place on Tuesday when a patient was brought to the emergency department of GMC Srinagar by an attendant. At the time of arrival, the patient’s blood pressure and pulse were unrecordable. Despite doctors performing CPR and making every possible effort, the patient could not be revived. Later, the attendant returned to the ward and physically assaulted one of the doctors involved in the treatment.
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The viral video shows the attendant entering the ward, directly approaching the doctor, and allegedly delivering a forceful slap on his face in front of patients and their attendants. The slap was so powerful that the doctor immediately fell to the ground.
Following the incident, the doctor filed a complaint against the accused at the police station, and an FIR has been registered in connection with the case.
In a statement, GMC Srinagar confirmed that they have taken necessary action as per law against the culprit. "FIR has been lodged and police are handling the matter. Further action will follow. GMC & other hospitals are public assets dedicated to patient care, and the healthcare staff working in the hospitals work tirelessly for patient care. We urge patients & attendants to cooperate with healthcare staff," said the administration.
Meanwhile, the medical fraternity has expressed deep outrage and strongly condemned the incident. They have demanded immediate and strict action against the accused.
Highlighting that medical professionals deserve safety and respect, several doctors took to the social media platform 'X' (formerly Twitter) to share the incident. They expressed concern for the assaulted doctor and voiced their disappointment with the government for failing to ensure adequate security for healthcare workers.
A doctor expressing concern over the repeated assaults on healthcare professionals wrote in a post on 'X', "Yet again, a Medicine Resident ,one of the calmest and dedicated doctors I know, has been assaulted in the Emergency Department at GMC Srinagar. While we understand that emergencies bring panic and distress to attendants, no amount of emotional turmoil justifies physically or verbally assaulting the doctors who are there to save lives. This is not an isolated incident, it’s a recurring cycle that continues only because no concrete steps are being taken by the administration to protect its own doctors. This constant fear, this lack of protection — how are Doctors supposed to work like this?"
Another doctor said, "Deeply disturbed by the assault on a resident doctor at GMC Srinagar. Violence against doctors is unacceptable and must be condemned unequivocally. We stand in solidarity with our colleagues and demand strict action against the culprits"
Another concerned individual, sharing the disturbing video online, wrote, "This incident is not just unacceptable, it is a direct attack on the spirit and sanctity of the medical profession. The audacity of the assailant and the impunity with which this act was carried out raise serious questions: Where is hospital security? Who will protect doctors inside hospitals if not the system itself? Time and again, the medical fraternity has appealed to the #Central Government for a Central Protection Act for doctors, as existing state laws have repeatedly failed to ensure justice and deterrence in such cases. These assaults don’t just hurt individuals they crush morale, endanger lives, and deter youth from taking up this noble profession."
He further said that "doctors are healers and not punching bags. This pattern of violence must end, enough is enough."
Just a week ago, Medical Dialogues reported about a similar incident where a first-year postgraduate female junior resident doctor from the the ENT department, and a 3rd year female postgraduate medico at Government Medical College (GMC) and Hospital in Jammu, were allegedly verbally abused and brutally assaulted by a group of attendants following the death of a terminally ill patient.
