Surat doctor slapped 12 times for referring patient to another hospital

Surat: In a disturbing incident, an on-duty doctor at KSB Olympia Dream Children Hospital in Surat’s Pandesara area was allegedly verbally abused and brutally slapped 12 times in a row by an enraged attendant over a referral dispute involving a critically ill child.

Since the hospital lacked ICU facilities, the doctor had advised the child’s family to shift him to another hospital. The family initially agreed and left, but one of the four attendants, who was reportedly intoxicated, returned after 20 minutes and stormed into the doctor’s chamber, where he allegedly verbally and physically assaulted the doctor in anger.

The entire episode was caught on CCTV, on the camera placed above the doctor’s desk. The footage shows the doctor seated in his chamber scrolling through his phone when the attendant suddenly approached and began slapping him repeatedly. Despite the doctor’s attempts to defend himself, the furious man continued assaulting and abusing him.

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The incident took place when a young man rushed his critically ill child to the hospital for treatment. After examining the child, the doctor explained that admission was necessary, but the hospital did not have ICU facilities. As a result, he advised that the child should be shifted to another hospital.

Although the family initially agreed and said they would return, one of the four men accompanying them, who was reportedly intoxicated, came back after about 20 minutes and stormed into the doctor’s chamber. Without warning, he began shouting and allegedly slapping the doctor repeatedly, demanding to know why the child was not admitted.

The doctor was allegedly assaulted nearly a dozen times before hospital staff intervened. When they tried to stop him, the man also allegedly abused the staff members.

Speaking to The Blunt Times, the hospital administrator said, "Before the doctor could even react, he was slapped 12 times in quick succession. When staff rushed in to protect him, the man turned abusive towards them too."

The incident has shocked the medical fraternity, who questioned the security arrangements of the hospital and raised concerns about the rising attacks on healthcare workers across the country. They not only opposed the incident but also indicated that the slap was not just on a single doctor but on all doctors in India.

Condemning the brutal assault on the doctor, a senior paediatrician from Surat Civil Hospital said, “This is not just an attack on a doctor, but an attack on the healthcare system. If doctors are not safe inside hospitals, how will they treat patients without fear?"

Following the incident, the doctor, backed by the hospital, immediately informed the Pandesara police station and filed a complaint. Acting on it, the police have registered an FIR against the attacker.

“We have taken the complaint very seriously. The accused will be booked under strict sections of the law. Assaulting a doctor on duty is a non-bailable offence, and we will ensure justice," said a police officer.

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