A man was arrested by the police for allegedly threatening and abusing on-duty doctors at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. This incident took place recently, at a time when the hospital has already been in the news due to the tragic rape and murder of a trainee doctor. The accused, identified as Satya Ranjan Mahapatra, arrived at the Trauma Care unit of the hospital at around 1:50 a.m. on Wednesday, accompanied by another individual, seeking medical assistance for Sikhar, who had been injured in a road accident.
After Sikhar was admitted to the hospital, Mahapatra allegedly began to verbally abuse the doctors present and even issued death threats to them. According to sources, the dispute broke out over an alleged delay in providing treatment to Sikhar, which led to an argument between Mahapatra and the medical staff. The situation escalated quickly, resulting in a heated confrontation between the doctors and Sikhar’s attendants.
The police personnel, who were on duty at the hospital, promptly intervened to control the situation. Mahapatra was detained by the police, while Sikhar, who had sustained injuries in the accident, was transferred to another hospital for further medical care.
Following the incident, the principal of RG Kar Medical College took immediate action and lodged a formal complaint at Tala Police Station, leading to the registration of an FIR. Based on the complaint, Mahapatra was subsequently arrested by the police. The incident has brought attention to the increasing risks and challenges faced by healthcare professionals while providing services, particularly in critical and emergency situations.
During the course of interrogation, Mahapatra denied having issued any death threats to the doctors. He claimed that his actions were driven by frustration over the delay in Sikhar’s treatment and insisted that the medical staff was not attending to the patient promptly. However, he admitted that an argument had taken place between him and the doctors and acknowledged that he may have “misbehaved in the heat of the moment” due to his concern for his injured companion.
This incident underscores the ongoing issues of violence and abuse faced by healthcare workers in India. Such episodes not only endanger the safety of medical professionals but also create an atmosphere of fear that can hinder their ability to provide timely and effective medical care. Healthcare workers are often at the forefront of life-saving interventions, and any kind of threat or abuse directed at them jeopardizes their ability to fulfill their professional duties.
The police have taken a serious view of the matter and are conducting further investigations to determine the exact circumstances that led to the confrontation. Authorities have emphasized the need for maintaining decorum and ensuring the safety of medical professionals, especially in high-pressure environments like hospitals, where timely medical intervention can be a matter of life and death.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Ankur Deka/MSM)