A female resident doctor at Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College and General Hospital, also known as Sion Hospital, was allegedly assaulted by a drunk patient and his family members inside the hospital at around 3:40 a.m. on Sunday. The incident has sparked renewed concerns over the safety of doctors, especially women, following the recent case in Kolkata where a postgraduate trainee doctor was allegedly raped and murdered during her shift on August 9.
The two detained accused are Prasad Mariappan Devendra (31) and his sister Shewta Mariappan Devendra (28). Both are residents of Sanjay Gandhi Nagar in Sion.
According to the Sion Police, an FIR has been registered against three men, including the patient, and two women. Police managed to trace and detain two individuals late on Sunday.
The case began when the intoxicated patient, who had bruises on his lip and nose, initially visited the casualty ward for basic treatment. After his wounds were dressed, he was referred to Ward 3 (ENT section) for further examination.
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Upon his arrival in Ward 3, the on-duty female doctor reviewed his prescription and asked him to sit for an examination. She needed to check if the ear injuries had caused any internal damage and began by carefully removing the dressing and using a cotton swab to assess the wounds. As she did so, the patient, identified as Prasad, screamed in pain and angrily blamed the doctor for causing him discomfort.
The situation quickly escalated. According to the preliminary police investigation, Prasad began verbally abusing the doctor before physically attacking her. Hearing the commotion, his relatives, including two women, rushed into the ward and joined in the assault. They reportedly threw objects at the doctor, including a gauze pad that hit her face. The doctor sustained scratches and bruises on her arms during the attack, as she attempted to defend herself.
As the incident drew the attention of hospital staff and other patients, the attackers fled the scene. The doctor informed her colleagues, who advised her to report the incident to the police.
The Sion Police immediately registered an FIR against unknown persons under sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt) and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with sections 3 and 4 of the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2010.
The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) and BMC-MARD condemned the attack, stating that such incidents frequently occur in hospitals but often go unreported. They urged the police to take strong action against the offenders and called on hospital authorities to ensure a safer environment for doctors.
