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Shiv Sena corporator assaults doctors, nurses at hospital, viral video sparks row; UBT Sena slams ‘goondagiri’
Mhatre and five others were seen on CCTV footage while attacking doctors Srishti Bawiskar and Vaibhav Salunkhe at a civic-run hospital in Kalyan on Monday.
Shiv Sena corporator, Ramesh Sukrya Mhatre, and his associates allegedly assaulted two doctors at a hospital in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Wednesday.
Mhatre and five others were seen on CCTV footage while attacking doctors Srishti Bawiskar and Vaibhav Salunkhe at a civic-run hospital in Kalyan on Monday. Along with the two doctors, two nurses, Namita Ubale and Dravya Giri, were also subject to assault by the Shinde Sena corporator.
As reported by HT earlier, the assault broke out after a 33-year-old patient was advised to move to another hospital to better manage pregnancy-related complications.
“The sonography showed the baby’s umbilical cord wrapped twice around its neck. Sensing that the delivery would be complicated and the child would need specialised neonatal care, the doctors referred the mother to Sion Hospital, since our own hospital’s 10 NICU beds were all occupied.” After the assault, Urmale was shifted to Vasant Valley Maternity Hospital, where she safely delivered the child on Monday night," medical officer of health Dr Deepa Shukla told HT.
The assault, which was also caught on camera, lead to the 'stop-work' protest at the hospital, along with a strong rebuke from the opposition faction - Shiv Sena (UBT).
Thackeray, Raut slam 'goondagiri'
In a response to the assault, Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray slammed the attack and called on Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to take action and not tolerate "goondagiri" from the BJP's ally.
"Will he arrest the goon of mindhe gang and dismiss him from his seat of Corporator? Or does he send out a signal to not just doctors and nurses but to everyone that Maharashtra sees such lawlessness and is ok with it," Thackeray wrote on X.
UBT Sena MP Sanjay Raut also slammed the state government and home ministry over the assault by the Shinde Sena corporator.
"What's the use of the home ministry. The women doctors and nurses—the angels in white dresses who served the people during the COVID-19 pandemic—are now brutally assaulted inside a hospital by goons of the Mindhe faction. Is this what the rule of law looks like? Arrest all those responsible, handcuff them, and parade them publicly in their innerwear to set an example." Raut said in post on X
Doctors' bodies call for strict action
The Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and representatives of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have called for strict action and response from the Maharashtra government.
This call for action from the IMA comes after hospital workers staged a "work-stop" protest on Tuesday.
Representatives from the medical body have also threatened to shut down all private clinics and hospitals in the region on Wednesday if an FIR is not registered by the police.
Furthermore, FAIMA has also condemned the assault and called for strict action against the Shinde Sena corporator.
"Doctors cannot be held responsible for systemic deficiencies such as non-availability of NICU beds, shortage of infrastructure or administrative limitations. Resorting to violence against healthcare workers is completely unacceptable and must invite the strictest legal consequences," Dr Rohan Krishnan, Chief Patron, FAIMA told news agency ANI.
"We urge the Government of Maharashtra to initiate decisive action within 24 hours and send a clear message that violence against doctors and healthcare workers will not be tolerated under any circumstances," Dr. Krishnan added further.
