Mumbai: Dr Rohit Kumar, a resident doctor working at the civic–run Sion Hospital, was allegedly assaulted by relatives of a patient on March 18, nearly a week after an attack by a patient’s relatives had severely damaged an eye of a resident doctor in Dhule, Dr Rohan Mhamunkar. The hospital’s senior resident medical officer, Dr Mansi Patil, was allegedly assaulted by another patient’s relatives on March 22. Dr Kumar, who is afflicted with polio and is from Chhattisgadh, and Dr Patil spoke to The Asian Age on Monday.        

Dr Rohit Kumar: “I was assaulted by patient’s kin. The patient Rekha Singh (60) was admitted on the night of March 17 for a chronic kidney ailment and she underwent dialysis the next morning. Rekha was in a critical condition and suffered from fluid overload. She died in the night.  I was on duty and informed Rekha’s relative. It was just over this issue and with no fault on my part I was assaulted. For a moment I was terribly in shock, since it was not my mistake. I am now with my family and my family is scared, with the recent incidents of assaults on doctors. I guessed, we have not asked much, just a security and a pass system that states two persons per patient and a warning alarm. It is scary to work in such an environment where security is not there to protect you.”

Dr Mansi Patil: “I was assaulted on Wednesday evening by the patient’s kin. When security tried to control the patient’s mother, I was slapped on my arm, the verbal assault also affects us, it has a very negative impact. After the assault on me the patient still continued getting treatment and was discharged after two days. Still, we need better security... The doctors also want to serve for the betterment of society but the growing instances like these will lower our confidence, we won’t be able to focus and give our best.”