'Enter, don't spare doctors': Sena workers accused of attacking staff at Palghar hospital

Police said a FIR has been registered and a detailed probe is underway.

A private hospital in Palghar was allegedly attacked by Shiv Sena workers of the Eknath Shinde faction late on Saturday following a dispute over the discharge of five men who were injured at a Dahi Handi event.

The incident took place on Saturday night.

According to people aware of the details, the argument between the hospital staff and the Sena workers erupted after the latter advised against the early discharge of one of the men.

Police said a First Information Report (FIR) has been registered and a detailed probe is underway. No arrests were made at the time of filing this report.

The incident – a video of which has gone viral – took place at Relief Hospital

“Five patients who were injured at a Dahi Handi event were brought to our hospital. Three of them were treated as OPD patients. One of them, Omkar Kalwadkar, was unconscious and admitted in the ICU. The govinda troupe and Sena workers demanded an immediate discharge but we thought it would be best to keep Kalwadkar under observation for 24 hours. The group forcibly removed the IV line and took the patient away after midnight,” Dr Vishal Kodgirkar, who owns the facility, said.

He also alleged the Sainiks demanded a huge discount for treatment of all the patients, which included an MRI and CT scan.

“We gave them a 20% discount but they wanted to pay less. Now after the assault, my staff is scared and sitting at home. The Sena group and govinda troupe barged into the ICU, where three other patients were admitted. One of the patients faced severe blood pressure due to the trauma,” he said.

The doctor further alleged that a female colleague was abused by the group. “We work day and night, what will we get if the politicians attack us in this way? I am in touch with the Indian Medical Association and my legal team in Mumbai.”

The staff at the hospital’s billing department corroborated the owner’s statement.

Explaining the incident in detail, Vivek Babu Jhinga said: “At 10.15 pm on Saturday, a person named Omkar Vilas Kalwadkar (19) fell while participating at a Dahi Handi event and hurt his head. His friend, Mayur Sawant, brought him to the hospital for treatment. He was subsequently admitted in ICH after an examination. At 10.45pm, two persons – named Akash Patil and Hitesh Chaudhary – arrived with injuries for treatment.”

He added: “At 12.15 am, Keshav Thakur came with injuries to his spine and Aniket Mahyavanshi came with an injury on his chest. Both were admitted for treatment. Keshav Thakur was later moved to Green Diagnostic for an MRI. Later, the leader of the Dahi Handi troupe came and demanded that we release all the injured.

Jhinga said that Sena Palghar district chief Kundan Balkrishna Sankhe arrived with a group and started speaking loudly and abusing a doctor, Dr Lijimol, at the Emergency Department. “When Dr Lijimol requested him to maintain silence, Sankhe threatened to demolish the hospital,” he said.

Jhinga said Sankhe told his group “enter the hospital, do not spare these doctors”. The Palghar leader threatened the nurse on duty at the ICU and ordered her to remove all saline lines from Kalwadkar,” he said. Out of fear, the nurse complied.

Jhinge also alleged Palghar city chief Rahul Gharat slapped him during the chaos.

Sankhe, however, defended his and his supporters’ actions and dismissed the “small incident”. “The boys were from Virar and they wanted to be discharged. The hospital insisted on a 24-hour observation. We wanted to make a payment and paid ₹10,000. Kalwadkar was alright but the hospital staff abused us. Rahul slapped Jhinga but we went there only to check on the injured Handi group.”

He also said the accused have not filed for an application bail and “will face the action”.

NCP(SP) chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said the alleged attack was not only on the hospital but on the medical system and the rule of law.

Referring to an earlier alleged assault of the staff at Shastri Nagar Hospital in Dombivli, he said: “What has happened in Palghar is a repetition of the same pattern. This is not a coincidence, it is the inevitable consequence of political patronage received by ruling party workers.”

He added: “Power is meant to serve people, not to spread fear in hospitals. A party post is not a licence to take the law into one’s own hands. Shiv Sena workers appear to have been given the mistaken impression that nobody can touch them because they are in power, and the silence of the party leadership is encouraging this.”

Palghar SP Yatish Deshmukh said the case is under investigation and no arrests have been made so far.