A house surgeon at the Ernakulam General Hospital (GH) reportedly came under violent attack from two visitors on Saturday, incidentally the National Doctor’s Day, around 1.30 a.m.
The accused, since then arrested, were identified as Robin, 25, of Kumbalanghi and Joseneel Cyrus, 25, of Mattancherry. Reportedly, Robin’s relative was admitted to the hospital, and the accused had come in as bystanders.
They were slapped with non-bailable charges under Sections 3 and 4 (violence against healthcare service persons or damage or loss to property and punishment therein) of the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2012. They were since produced in court and remanded.
CCTV footage had since emerged showing the house surgeon, Harish Mohammed, being assaulted by the accused but eventually making a retreat in the face of stiff resistance.
Dr. Mohammed and his lady colleague could be seen having tea sitting on chairs outside the hospital cafeteria after duty hours, when the accused, visibly intoxicated, could be seen passing by them allegedly passing some comments. They could be seen like feigning to fall on the lady that was questioned by Dr. Mohammed at which they make a come back. A heated argument ensues that soon descends into nasty scuffle as the accused gang up on the house surgeon.
“I resisted as much as I could. I got hold of one of their mobile phones as they retreated, and I passed it on to the police. What pained me was that even the patients [for whom] I had prescribed medicines [a little while ago] simply stood and watched,” rued Dr. Mohammed who had in between sent his lady colleague to fetch security guards and cops from the police aid post. The footage showed that the accused were already retreating by the time a security guard arrived at the scene.
The Central police registered a First Information Report (FIR) based on Dr. Mohammed’s complaint and launched a hunt for the accused. The police tracked down Cyrus to his home at Mattancherry and nabbed him from there. He was then made to ask Robin to come to his home at which he was also picked up around 8 a.m.
“The accused were drunk at the time of the incident and were hung over even while they were nabbed. They were also accused in cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS),” said police sources. The accused were taken to the hospital for evidence collection and medical examination following which they were produced in court.
In May, the Central police had arrested a man on charge of verbally abusing a doctor on duty at the casualty section of the GH reportedly under the influence of alcohol. Incidentally, that had happened a day after the State government passed an ordinance amending the Kerala Healthcare Service Persons and Healthcare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act.
