There will be a 24-hour shutdown of hospitals in Maharashtra on Monday, protesting the attack on doctors, the Indian Medical Association announced Friday.
However, emergency and essential medical services will continue during this period
The announcement comes after a court in Thane district on Tuesday granted bail to Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre, arrested for allegedly assaulting two doctors and nurses at a civic-run hospital in Dombivli on the night of July 6 after a family was advised to shift a newborn to another facility.
Staff members at the Thane District Civil Hospital, where Mhatre was admitted after his arrest on Wednesday night, staged a protest against him outside the hospital and sought his immediate disqualification as a corporator.
While Mhatre was admitted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU), medical officers, nurses and administrative personnel gathered outside the premises and shouted slogans demanding that attacks on doctors must stop and healthcare workers should be provided security.
A viral video showed Mhatre slapping and punching Dr Vaibhav Salunkhe and hitting resident medical officer Dr Srishti Baviskar on her hand at the Shastri Nagar Hospital on Monday evening. The doctors had advised the relatives of a newborn to shift the baby to another facility due to lack of space in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Angered by this, the relatives contacted the corporator, who arrived with his aides and assaulted the doctors.
Dr Salunkhe and Dr Baviskar submitted their resignations to the private agency through which they had been appointed. While the two doctors could not be contacted, one of their colleagues confirmed the development.
Both were deeply shaken following the incident, the colleague said.
Family members of Dr Baviskar said they were concerned about doctors’ safety at the hospital
A case was registered against Mhatre and others on Tuesday night following public outrage and pressure from the Indian Medical Association.
The Association has expressed its displeasure that no action has been taken against Ramesh Mhatre even after getting bail in the case of assault on doctors.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, has reprimanded Mhatre over the incident, senior party leader and state Industries Minister Uday Samant had said.
“Our party’s stand is very clear. It is inappropriate to hit a woman doctor. Many in the Shiv Sena, as well as the state health minister, have stressed that such an assault was wrong,” Samant had said.
