Mhatre and five others were seen in CCTV footage attacking doctors Srishti Baweskar and Vaibhav Salunkhe at a Madani-run hospital in Kalyan on Monday.
Shiv Sena chief Ramesh Sukariya Mhatre and his associates assaulted two doctors at a hospital in Maharashtra’s Thane district, police said on Wednesday.
Mhatre and five others were seen in CCTV footage attacking doctors Srishti Baweskar and Vaibhav Salunkhe at a Madani-run hospital in Kalyan on Monday. Besides the two doctors, two nurses, Namita Upale and Dravya Giri, were also assaulted by Shinde Sena.
As HT reported earlier, the assault broke out after a 33-year-old patient was advised to transfer to another hospital to better manage pregnancy-related complications.
“The ultrasound showed the baby’s umbilical cord wrapped twice around his neck. Feeling that the birth would be complicated and the baby would need specialized neonatal care, the doctors referred the mother to Sion Hospital, as all 10 NICU beds at our hospital were occupied.” After the assault, Ormal was rushed to Vasant Valley Maternity Hospital, where she safely delivered the baby on Monday night,” Medical Health Officer Dr Deepa Shukla told HT.
The assault, which was also caught on camera, led to a ‘stop work’ protest at the hospital, along with a strong rebuke from the opposition faction – the Shiv Sena (UBT).
Thackeray and Raut criticize ‘Gundagiri’
Reacting to the attack, Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray criticized the attack and called on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to take action and not tolerate “goondagiri” from the BJP ally.
“Will he arrest the mind gang and throw him out of his seat? Or will he send a signal not just to the doctors and nurses but to everyone that Maharashtra sees such lawlessness and is OK with it,” Thackeray wrote on X.
UBT Sena MP Sanjay Raut also criticized the state government and the Home Ministry over the attack by Shinde Sena.
“What good is the Home Office? Female doctors and nurses – the angels in white dresses who served people during the Covid-19 pandemic – are now being brutally assaulted inside the hospital by thugs from the Mendhi faction. Is this what the rule of law looks like? Arrest all officials, handcuff them, and parade them in public in their underwear to make an example.” Raut said in a post on X
Doctors’ bodies demand strict action
Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA) and representatives of Indian Medical Association (IMA) have called for strict action and response from the Maharashtra government.
This call to action from the IMA comes after hospital workers staged a “work stop” protest on Tuesday.
Medical authority representatives also threatened to close all private clinics and hospitals in the area on Wednesday if the police did not register an FIR.
Moreover, FAIMA also condemned the assault and called for strict action against Shinde Sena.
“Doctors cannot be held responsible for systemic shortcomings such as unavailability of NICU beds, lack of infrastructure or administrative constraints. Resorting to violence against healthcare workers is completely unacceptable and should lead to the severest legal consequences,” FAIMA Chief Patron Dr. Rohan Krishnan told news agency ANI.
“We urge the Maharashtra government to take decisive action within 24 hours and send a clear message that violence against doctors and healthcare workers will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” Dr Krishnan added.
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