Resident doctor allegedly manhandled at civic hospital

A resident doctor at the civic- run Sion Hospital here claimed on Wednesday that he was manhandled by the relatives of a 70-year-old woman who died during treatment on Monday evening.

Around 30 resident doctors stopped work in protest after the college authorities allegedly did not lodge a police complaint.

The woman had been admitted to the hospital for kidney and heart ailments. Her condition worsened on Monday evening.

The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) said that even as the doctor was treating her, her relatives started crying and created a ruckus.

"Soon there was a mob of 20-25 people in the ward, shouting and charging at the doctor. The doctor got scared and ran away," said a member of MARD.

"When we demanded that college administration register an FIR, they called it a small incident and refused to lodge a police complaint," he alleged.

Hospital dean Dr Mohan Joshi, however, said the matter was being blown out of proportion.

"One of the relatives was grieving as the woman had died. She was beating her chest and touched the doctor. There was no violence or manhandling," Joshi said.

"But a police complaint has been lodged now," the dean said, adding that the hospital's functioning was not affected.

Resident doctors staged a protest by queuing outside the psychiatry OPD of the hospital.

"Through this silent protest we wanted to convey that we work in an atmosphere of fear," a MARD member said.