Mumbai:
The families of the doctors who were assaulted by a corporator in a Thane hospital have highlighted severe mental trauma the young medical professionals have been going through ever since the incident happened.
Dr Srishti Baviskar and her colleague Dr Vaibhav Salunkhe are in a state of deep shock, Dr Srishti’s father Mahendra Baviskar told reporters today.
“The trauma is so severe that they frequently wake up from their sleep in terror, asking, ‘is someone attacking us’?” Mahendra said.
The assault took place on Monday at the Shastri Nagar hospital run by the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC). A viral video of the incident had sparked massive public outrage, showing Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre slapping and punching Dr Salunkhe. When Dr Srishti intervened to save her colleague, Mhatre hit her hand and violently threw her mobile phone.
Mahendra dismissed reports that his daughter and Dr Salunkhe had quit their jobs, as reported in some sections of the media.
Earlier, KDMC medical health officer Dr Deepa Shukla had said the two doctors had submitted their resignations to a private agency that appointed them. Mahendra clarified today that neither of the doctors has resigned following the attack.
Both parents of Dr Srishti have appealed for the safety of medical professionals, saying doctors can only provide proper care if they feel safe inside hospitals. They asked the government to implement strict measures to ensure full security for medical staff across KDMC facilities.
The doctor’s father thanked the chief minister for Mhatre’s arrest. Other politicians including Aaditya Thackeray and Rohit Pawar had announced their support for the doctors.
Her mother, Sangeeta Baviskar, earlier broke down as she demanded a guarantee of state protection for healthcare workers.
“If I can get a guarantee from the government that they will be protected when they work for 48 to 72 hours without proper sleep or fixed meal times… Under those volatile circumstances, if you launch a murderous attack on professionals, what reaction do you expect?” Sangeeta said.
She said such incidents of violence and hospital vandalism are becoming all too common, and demanded absolute transparency in the legal process against the accused.
“If anyone is at fault, they should be corrected or face legal action,” Sangeeta Baviskar said. “But launching a direct physical assault is completely unacceptable. We have sent our children into this noble profession to serve the people. My only demand is that my daughter, and every other member of the affected medical staff, gets the justice they deserve.”
Mhatre and three of his associates were arrested on Wednesday night. Soon after that, he complained of “chest pain” and the authorities took him to the Thane District Civil Hospital, where his presence sparked anger among the healthcare workers there.
Staff members at the civil hospital staged a protest outside the building, demanding Mhatre’s immediate disqualification as a corporator for his actions.
Mhatre was discharged this morning from hospital after doctors declared him medically stable and fit for discharge. A court has sent him to custody till July 13.
