Junior doctor assaulted in Mayo hospital casualty in Nagpur; cross FIRs registered

An argument over treatment in the casualty ward of Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital, known as Mayo, in Nagpur escalated into a physical assault. The incident has once again raised the question of doctors' safety in government hospitals. Tahsil police have registered cross FIRs on the complaints of both sides.

It is alleged that a father and son who had come with a patient assaulted, shoved and abused a junior doctor on duty. It is also alleged that the doctor was dragged and thrown onto a bed, and scratched on the chest with fingernails.

The complainant, Dr Sameer Vijay Chandekar, is a first-year junior resident doctor in the General Surgery Department-3 at Mayo hospital. According to the information available, Ranjit Jadhav arrived at the hospital with his son at around 3.15 pm on November 4. After a preliminary examination by the CMO, both were sent to Dr Chandekar.

Ranjit Jadhav is said to be associated with the police department. He told the doctor that his son's finger had broken into two pieces and was bleeding heavily. He also said he had brought the other part of the finger with him. When the doctor asked to see it, he was shown a piece of nail and flesh. The family says the finger had earlier been treated and bandaged at the Mankapur primary health centre.

According to Dr Chandekar, he did not see blood on the bandage during the examination. He was then going towards the nursing counter to have an X-ray slip made out when a critically ill patient arrived at the hospital and he went to attend to that patient.

It is alleged that Ranjit Jadhav, angry over this, dragged the doctor and threw him onto the bed, while his son shoved him. According to the allegation, both abused the doctor and assaulted him, scratching his chest with their nails. It is also alleged that Ranjit, describing himself as a policeman, threatened to "see" the doctor.

Following the incident, Tahsil police registered a case under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The case then took a new turn when both sides filed complaints against each other. For this reason, the police have registered cross FIRs.

Tahsil police are currently investigating the entire matter on the basis of the complaints from both sides.