Time has come for the government to seriously think about providing security to doctors says Mumbaikars.
On one hand the state government has offered security to director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and his cast and crew after the set of his film Padmavati was vandalised by miscreants on the other side nobody intervened when Dr. Rohan Mhamunkar was assaulted by the relatives of a patient who had suffered head injury. Mumbaikars are unhappy with the state government’s double standards when it comes to offering security to doctors. At a time, when there has been a rise in the number of incidents pertaining to attack on doctors the medical fraternity has been urging the government to pass legislation to make assault on medical practitioners a non-bailable offence. Mumbaikars also questioned why preferential treatment has been given to Bhansali. According to them, the state government must not discriminate and offer protection to doctors who are discharging their duties amicably. Many doctors are worried that they might be the next victim of assault.
Sunil Bhatkande a marketing executive employed with a FMCG firm in Andheri said, “The government’s decision to provide security to Sanjay Leela Bhansali is laudable but they should not have discriminated against Dr. Rohan Mhamunkar who had to bear the brunt of assault.”
Ramesh Doshi a businessman from Kandivali said, “When Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s set was ransacked by unidentified persons in Kolhapur NCP had strongly condemned the act. On the other hand, resident doctor was brutally attacked in Dhule and lost his vision but opposition leaders didn’t utter a single word.”
Rupali Deshmukh, a TYBSc student from Borivali said, “Time has come for the government to seriously think about providing security to doctors. The attacks can’t go on against them in this manner. Even people need to understand that doctors are human beings and can commit mistakes.”
Rishabh Singh an accountant working with a broking firm in Malad said, “Attack on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s set grabbed headlines and even netizens have condemned the incident. However, nobody has spoken about the plight of doctors who become victims of assault. Doctors are professionals and let them do their work without any fear.”
Meanwhile doctors from across the state condemned the attack on Dr. Rohan Mhamunkar and have demanded strict security for doctors. The video showing miscreants kicking and slapping Dr. Rohan Mhamunkar and hitting him with a cot has gone viral, evoking strong reactions from doctors across Maharashtra.
They have urged the state government to take various measures to enhance security of doctors. “Across the state from January 2015-December 2016, 47 such cases of attack on resident doctors have been reported,”said Dr Sagar Mundada.
Jan Arogya Abhiyan (JAA) and doctors with the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have strongly condemned the recent brutal attack on Dr. Rohan Mhamunkar in Dhule Civil Hospital. “Such instances bring to the breaking point the already strained relationship between doctors and patients,” said Dr Anant Phadke and Dr Abhijit More, city-based doctors with JAA.
A nationwide study conducted by IMA earlier showed doctors face maximum violence while providing emergency services, with as many as 48.8% of such incidents reported from intensive care units (ICUs) or after a patient had undergone surgery
The Maharashtra Police has arrested nine persons accused of beating Dr Mhamunkar. Three FIRs have also been lodged.
