Maha: Sion hospital resident doctor allegedly slapped by constable over discharge of patient

Mumbai: The medical fraternity was in uproar at the Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General (Sion) Hospital after a resident doctor was allegedly slapped by a constable posted on campus over an altercation regarding a patient discharge.

Although doctors are often found as subject to assault by the patient's kin, this time the person appeared to be a constable who assaulted the doctor at the police station.

The incident took place on Wednesday at 11.30 am when the doctor approached the constable at the sion police ADR post no. 11 inside the hospital to enquire about the discharge of the unknown patient who was undergoing treatment for over two months at the orthopedic department after above-the-knee amputation surgery.

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However, the constable denied taking any responsibility since the patient was brought to the hospital by Chunabhatti police. In response, the doctor asked the constable to give the same in writing which enraged the constable and in return, he slapped the doctor and grabbed him by the collar. While the constable went to grab his baton, the doctor fled from the scene.

When the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) came to know about the incident, they highly condemed the matter and demanded strict action against the constable.

A representative of the organisation informed Mid-day "If the police admit an unknown person and the patient recovers, the hospital informs the police about it and hands over the patient to them. After this particular patient recovered, a first-year resident doctor from the orthopaedics department approached the Sion police ADR (chowki)."

"Since the treatment has been completed, the doctor responsible for this patient first went to Chunabhatti police station as the contact form of the patient has their head constable as the person who brought him in. They assured him that they will make arrangements for the patient's discharge by Sunday. However, since this was not done by Wednesday, the doctor went to Sion police station to talk to the officials there about the matter," Dr Akhilesh Moktali, the general secretary of the hospital's unit of Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) informed HT.

Following this, the meeting was held at the hospital in the presence of a senior police inspector Dr Pravin Dhage, deputy dean of Sion hospital; and the president of MARD. All the members in the meeting agreed that a written apology would be issued by the constable as per the demand of the association and the constable has been transferred to another station as part of the disciplinary action.

"We have started an inquiry against the constable and also transferred him. We will inquire into the allegations and act accordingly. Presently, the departmental inquiry has been initiated against the constable," said Manoj Hirlekar, senior police inspector of Sion police station.

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