Protest March by Local Doctors against Assault on Doctor by MP
Local doctors belonging to Indian Medical Association (IMA)-Mangaluru, Association of Medical Consultants (AMC)-Mangaluru, and Canara Orthopaedic Society (COS) will Protest March on 7 January 2017 from IMA premises to DC office at 10 am condemning the Assault on Doctor in Sirsi by MP Anant Kuar Hegde.
Mangaluru: Recalling the incident, alleging doctors had not given proper treatment to his mother, BJP’s Uttara Kannada MP Anant Kumar Hegde allegedly assaulted doctors and staff of a private hospital in Sirsi on Monday, 2 January 2017 night. Hegde and his followers rushed to TSS hospital accusing that the doctors at the hospital neglected in providing treatment to MP’s mother. Hegde had inquired about the same with doctors at the hospital and assaulted Dr Madhukeshwar, Dr Balachandra Bhat and hospital staff Rahul. It is learnt that assaulted doctors and staff underwent treatment at the same hospital. The assault was captured by CCTV cameras that were installed in a hospital, which went viral in social media platforms.
Condemning this incident, the members representing Indian Medical Association (IMA), Association of Medical Consultants-Mangaluru , and Canara Orthopaedic Society-Mangaluru held a press meet at Mangaluru Press Club, where Dr Raghavendra Bhat K- President of IMA said, ” A Doctor is someone who stands between the patient and Death and fights will all his might on behalf of the patient. But what do you say when this very Doctor is assaulted and even pushed towards his own death, by the same patient he otherwise tries to save? Is this not the lowest form of Morality?
“And when the person who indulges in such a violence is a LawMaker – who has now turned Lawbreaker – If this great Democratic nation cannot condemn such an incident, will it not be considered as an extremely deplorable condition and maybe even the Depth of Democracy? The entire medical Fraternity is aghast at the heinous physical assault by sitting MP of Uttara Kannada, Ananth Kumar Hegde, on Dr Madhukeshwar, Orthopaedic Surgeon and colleagues including a lady nurse, at TSS Hospital Sirsi on January 2nd, 2017 leading to GRIEVOUS injury” added Dr Bhat.
Dr Bhat further said, “The Doctor was in fact pushed and shoved inside the hospital, and with an intention to avoid being captured in CCTV, pulled into the parking lot, pushed onto the ground and pinned down and kicked on his face with shoes, resulting in injuries. All of this is recorded in the Medico-Legal Register at Government Hospital Sirsi. The previous day, there was an assault on doctors by an unruly Mob at Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences on Jan 1st – New year’s eve. When the entire society celebrated their personal functions and festivals, it is the medical fraternity who sacrifices the same, in the interests of Society. And after all this, sacrifice, is this what the Doctor gets in return?
Also addressing the media persons, Dr Satish Bhat- representing AMC said, ” With these back to back incidents, the Doctors in Mangaluru are aggrieved and hereby convey their anguish in the form of this protest on Saturday, January 7, 2017. It involves – Shutdown of all outpatient services till 2 PM; Protest march from IMA House Attavar (10 am) to DC office (11 am); and Memorandum Submission to CM/PM through DC 4. We will also work with black badges the next day. All medical establishments and doctors will restrain from working till 2 pm during the protest hours. Apart from doctors even nurses, hospital staff and the general public will join in the march”.
The board and members of these Medical associations have requested the concerned authorities to- Register an against the culprits under the cognizable and non-bailable sections of the Karnataka MEDICARE Act, 2009.; Do everything else possible to ensure nobody takes up law into their own hands, to improve the working environment within a Hospital.
Speaking to Team Mangalorean, the doctors said, “The medical fraternity is really distressed by the rising trend of unprovoked brutal assault on Doctors and Hospital by people at large. Amidst all this, to see the same by elected representatives, who are supposed to be role models, is utterly disgusting. The incident in which a lawmaker breaking law publicly is a terrible trend which is not becoming of a civil society. This is not an isolated incident, as some time back Vinay Kulkarni, sitting MLA of the ruling party in State, assaulted the Paediatrics HOD at KIMS Hubli. He was later elevated to a Cabinet minister too. This is apart from the rising trend to attack hospitals and doctors, often with disappointed by patient attenders, that is manufactured & fabricated!”
MP Anant Kumar (highlighted in circle) Assaulting the Doctor
“All this has demoralized the medical fraternity which thus has become a soft target for hooligans. We hope people who are trusted by the public to represent them introspect deeply and show remorse. These incidents if allowed to continue unchecked, can have serious repercussions on patient care in future and are sure to remove that much-needed compassion and care from medical profession reducing it to just another service. It is hoped that governments take cognizance of these unpleasant developments and take remedial measures to create a better society where lawmakers are looked up to with faith and respect for solutions and not feared like criminals. We request the media personnel ad general public to convey our anguish and strong protest to all the authorities in the District, and the higher ups in the Government, to ensure Harmony is maintained ” added the doctors.
Dr KR Kamath- Secretary of AMC and President elect-IMA; Dr Sachidananda Rai- Active member of COS; and Dr Shubakhara Bhandary- a member of AMC were also present during the press meet.