Mumbai Police detain 2 after assault on woman doctor at Sion hospital

Sion Hospital/ File Photo

Mumbai Police have booked three individuals, including two women, following the alleged assault of a female doctor at the civic-run Sion Hospital in the early hours of Sunday. Two of the accused have been detained, according to an official from the Sion police station.

Per a PTI report, the incident occurred when the doctor was attending to a male patient in the casualty ward, officially known as Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital.

Reportedly, while she was cleaning blood from the man's ear, he became agitated and screamed at the doctor, leading to a heated argument. The situation escalated when two women and a man accompanying the patient physically assaulted the doctor. The hospital staff immediately sought police assistance.

The police have registered a case against the three alleged attackers under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, the news agency report stated.

Meanwhile, in a statement concerning the incident, Sion hospital detailed the incident of violence involving one of the on-call residents in the ward. Terming the assault "alarming", the statement said their doctors' safety is "non-negotiable".

In their statement, cited in the PTI, Sion Hospital said, "There has been an instance of violence involving one of our on-call residents in the ward early this morning. A group of 5-6 intoxicated attendants of a patient threatened and attempted to physically assault her. The doctor sustained injuries while defending herself."

The hospital described the assault as "alarming" and emphasised that the safety of their doctors is "non-negotiable" and called for immediate action, the report added.

"This situation requires immediate attention and the implementation of strict security measures in all hospitals," it added.

This assault comes amid a nationwide concern over the safety of doctors, following the recent rape and murder of a junior trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata. On Agust 9, a trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of the hospital and she was allegedly was brutally sexually assaulted and battered. The case is currently being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation.