A relative of a patient at a private hospital in Kolkata allegedly threatened a woman doctor on Thursday after her friends and family got into an altercation with her over what they said was delayed treatment.
After the incident, doctors at the hospital protested, and threatened to stop admissions unless the accused was arrested. This comes amid nationwide protests over the rape and murder of a junior doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital.
“We have arrested one Dipak Singh who insulted and threatened doctors on duty at the hospital over alleged delayed treatment to a patient. The person became violent, and intimidated on-duty doctors,” said a police officer.
According to hospital sources, the incident took place in the afternoon at the hospital located on E M Bypass. The friends and relatives of the patients, admitted to the ICU ward, met the woman doctor, reportedly saying they were unhappy with the treatment. After an alleged altercation began, Singh reportedly made the threat saying, “Ekhanei R G Kar kore debo (We will make [an incident like] R G Kar happen here)”.
The doctors on duty then raised an alarm and hospital authorities called the police. “A 58-year-old female patient was admitted on September 9, 2024, with complaints of shortness of breath and altered mental status. The patient is admitted with a diagnosis of sepsis with Acute Ischemic Stroke. The patient is currently critical,” said the private hospital in a statement.
“The patient’s son and his friends have been harassing the hospital staff with abusive behaviour in spite of the hospital staff exercising restraint considering the condition of the patient. However, the patient’s family and friends have continued to be abusive and threatening in their behaviour towards the hospital staff,” it added.
A case has been registered at Phoolbagan police station under Section 79 (insult to modesty of women) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 4 (violence against medicare service personnel and damage to property of medicare service institutions) of the West Bengal Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions Act).
A day after the rape and murder of the junior doctor at R G Kar Medical College and Hospital, a civic volunteer was arrested by the police for threatening a woman doctor at the Bhatar state general hospital in Purba Medinipur district with a similar threat.
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