Goa doctor rejects health minister's ‘studio apology', says apologise at hospital
PANAJI: A senior doctor, who was pulled up by Goa health minister Vishwajit Rane at a government hospital last week, on Monday rejected a 'heartfelt apology' offered by the minister, insisting that the apology must be made at the hospital where he was humiliated in the first instance.
'I've seen the video. It is a studio apology. We, all the doctors, demand that the apology be given where the incident happened in front of the patients. As my humiliation went viral... I was humiliated, so I want everyone to know about the apology... within 24 hours,' Dr Rudresh Kuttikar, the casualty medical officer (CMO) at Goa Medical College and Hospital's (GMCH) said on Monday on the minister's expression of regret.
Dr Kuttikar had drawn Rane's ire on Saturday for allegedly not administering a Vitamin B12 injection to the mother-in-law of a journalist. The doctor asked the woman to head to a primary health centre for the injection, following which the journalist called the minister.
Rane humiliated the senior doctor in the emergency department, announced his suspension and told him to go home on Saturday. The suspension was reversed by chief minister Pramod Sawant the following day. Rane also acknowledged that his 'tone and tenor' were not correct and that his choice of words could have been 'more measured' but initially declined to apologised.
On Monday morning, Rane followed up on his apology and said he 'deeply regret[s] the manner in which [he] addressed the situation'.
'I openly extended my heartfelt apology to Dr. Rudresh Kuttikar for the harsh words spoken by me during my visit to GMC. In the heat of the moment, my emotions overtook my expression, and I deeply regret the manner in which I addressed the situation. It was never my intention to undermine or disrespect the dignity of any medical professional,' Rane said.
Dr Kuttikar justified his decision not to give the injection, saying that the casualty department of the state's premier institute was only following protocol to decline the request.
The doctor explained that the patient should have gone to out patient departments or nearby primary health centres to get a Vitamin B12 injection, not the emergency department of the state's premier hospital.
'A Vitamin B12 injection is not an emergency injection, so they had to go to the OPDs or nearby PHCs… The Emergency Department of a tertiary hospital treats the highest level of emergencies for Goa, where only serious, critical patients have to be admitted. Nowadays, even minor cases are coming to the GMC emergency department. It is protocol that only serious cases have to be seen. A routine injection is never an emergency,' Dr Kuttikar said.
Dr Kuttikar has received support from the Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) and the Faculty Doctors Association which held a protest on Monday to back the demand for an apology from the minister. They said the protest would be escalated if a public apology wasn't forthcoming/
'We demand firm assurance from the government that no healthcare professional will ever be subjected to such a degrading and arbitrary ordeal again. [We demand an] end of VIP culture in the clinical setting especially more so in the casualty department with a possible implementation of a policy where treatment in all areas, again emphasising especially in casualty, must be dictated by principles of triage and clinical urgency and not by the social or political status/affiliation of the patient,' GARD said in its memorandum.
'We have sworn an oath to serve patients, and we do so tirelessly. However, we cannot and will not stand by while the dignity of our profession is not trampled upon,' he added.
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Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Chandigarh admn issues new guidelines for appointing HoDs at GMCH-32
1 2 Chandigarh: The Chandigarh administration has issued comprehensive new guidelines governing the appointment of heads of departments (HoDs) at the Govt Medical College & Hospital (GMCH), Sector-32. These measures aim to streamline the selection process, promote fairness, and ensure academic and administrative leadership continuity. This allows rotational headship where each HoD serves for a term of three years, which can be extended for another three years by the approving authority. This is the first time ever in the city for a public hospital to have this headship rotational scheme. The PGI and AIIMS Delhi have struggled for this for over a decade. Prof GP Thami, medical superintendent, GMCH, said, "This has been issued by the chief secretary and will be implemented prospectively." According to the official memorandum of the UT health department, the appointments will be overseen by a Standing Selection Committee comprising key officials: the secretary and additional secretary of medical education & research, the director principal of GMCH-32, and the director of health services. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play Chess on Your PC, Free Play Classic Chess Install Now Undo Vacancies for HoD positions will be widely advertised through the GMCH website and notice boards. Applications will be invited from eligible candidates, primarily professors, with provisions for associate professors to apply if no suitable professor is available. The top five senior-most applicants will be considered first, and a panel of at least three candidates will be finalised in order of preference. In cases where a junior candidate is preferred over a senior, written justification will be required. Each HoD will serve a three-year term or until the age of 62, whichever is earlier. A maximum of two terms will be allowed during an individual's service tenure. The continuation for a second term may be recommended based on the candidate's willingness and performance. Importantly, the guidelines allow for early removal of a HoD based on recommendations from the medical superintendent or director principal, with final approval from the chief secretary. Non-teaching specialists and General Duty Medical Officers (GDMOs) with designated teaching responsibilities may also be eligible for HoD positions to avoid academic communication gaps. Eligibility will require at least one year of residual service, and integrity clearances will be mandatory. The final selection will be based on presentations, interviews, and past performance as recorded in Annual Performance Appraisal Reports, which must meet the 'very good' benchmark. The Chandigarh administration emphasised that these updated guidelines have been approved by the competent authority and are intended to bring greater transparency, meritocracy, and structure to the leadership appointments within GMCH-32. TERMS AND CONDITIONS - Vacancies for HoD positions will be widely advertised through GMCH website and notice boards - Applications will be invited from eligible candidates, primarily professors, with provisions for associate professors to apply if no suitable professor is available - The top five senior-most applicants will be considered first, and a panel of at least three candidates will be finalised in order of preference - In cases where a junior candidate is preferred over a senior, written justification will be required - Each HoD will serve a three-year term or until the age of 62, whichever is earlier - A maximum of two terms will be allowed during an individual's service tenure - The continuation for a second term may be recommended based on the candidate's willingness and performance - Guidelines allow for early removal of an HoD based on recommendations from the medical superintendent or director principal, with final approval from the chief secretary Chandigarh: The Chandigarh administration has issued comprehensive new guidelines governing the appointment of heads of departments (HoDs) at the Govt Medical College & Hospital (GMCH), Sector-32. These measures aim to streamline the selection process, promote fairness, and ensure academic and administrative leadership continuity. This allows rotational headship where each HoD serves for a term of three years, which can be extended for another three years by the approving authority. This is the first time ever in the city for a public hospital to have this headship rotational scheme. The PGI and AIIMS Delhi have struggled for this for over a decade. Prof GP Thami, medical superintendent, GMCH, said, "This has been issued by the chief secretary and will be implemented prospectively." According to the official memorandum of the UT health department, the appointments will be overseen by a Standing Selection Committee comprising key officials: the secretary and additional secretary of medical education & research, the director principal of GMCH-32, and the director of health services. Vacancies for HoD positions will be widely advertised through the GMCH website and notice boards. Applications will be invited from eligible candidates, primarily professors, with provisions for associate professors to apply if no suitable professor is available. The top five senior-most applicants will be considered first, and a panel of at least three candidates will be finalised in order of preference. In cases where a junior candidate is preferred over a senior, written justification will be required. Each HoD will serve a three-year term or until the age of 62, whichever is earlier. A maximum of two terms will be allowed during an individual's service tenure. The continuation for a second term may be recommended based on the candidate's willingness and performance. Importantly, the guidelines allow for early removal of a HoD based on recommendations from the medical superintendent or director principal, with final approval from the chief secretary. Non-teaching specialists and General Duty Medical Officers (GDMOs) with designated teaching responsibilities may also be eligible for HoD positions to avoid academic communication gaps. Eligibility will require at least one year of residual service, and integrity clearances will be mandatory. The final selection will be based on presentations, interviews, and past performance as recorded in Annual Performance Appraisal Reports, which must meet the 'very good' benchmark. The Chandigarh administration emphasised that these updated guidelines have been approved by the competent authority and are intended to bring greater transparency, meritocracy, and structure to the leadership appointments within GMCH-32. TERMS AND CONDITIONS - Vacancies for HoD positions will be widely advertised through GMCH website and notice boards - Applications will be invited from eligible candidates, primarily professors, with provisions for associate professors to apply if no suitable professor is available - The top five senior-most applicants will be considered first, and a panel of at least three candidates will be finalised in order of preference - In cases where a junior candidate is preferred over a senior, written justification will be required - Each HoD will serve a three-year term or until the age of 62, whichever is earlier - A maximum of two terms will be allowed during an individual's service tenure - The continuation for a second term may be recommended based on the candidate's willingness and performance - Guidelines allow for early removal of an HoD based on recommendations from the medical superintendent or director principal, with final approval from the chief secretary
Indian Express
16 hours ago
- Indian Express
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Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Doctors & patients
Medics can't be bullied by ministers. But how medics deal with patients is also a vital part of healthcare It started with a refusal – correct decision, by the books – by Goa Medical College's emergency department to administer a routine B12 injection to a 77-year-old. She got the jab in the orthopaedic ward. It ended with an apology to GMC casualty's chief from Goa's health minister, who had suspended the doctor in a brazen public show of arrogance on camera. The video of the public humiliation correctly triggered outrage. The minister was not just badly behaved, he displayed an attribute shared by many politicians: pulling rank at the drop of a hat. In April, a UP minister on-camera wanted a Sonbhadra hospital's CMO 'sent to the jungle' because he was not available to 'welcome' the minister on arrival. He too, like his Goa counterpart, believed their high-handedness was 'speaking up for patients'. But they spoke from a point of privilege and ego alone. However, this thread – that patients need 'support' when facing doctors – brings us to another reality of Indian hospitals. One that's barely discussed. Some doctors are often less than civil with patients in public hospitals. Dismissive behaviour with patients and nurses is not infrequent, but barely recorded in any survey. Neither is its impact on care outcomes studied – starting with patients not daring to clear doubts for fear of a dressing-down. As noted by some TOI columnists, there are various surveys of abuse of doctors but none on doctors' un-bedside manners. The social status of doctors is such that some of them routinely get away with markedly impolite behaviour especially with poor patients. Doctors in govt hospitals are rarely caught on camera – patients have far bigger problems and challenges than to call out 'doctor saab'. This invisibilisation contrasts with the outrage that follows when a doctor is slighted. Medical fraternity speaks as one. That's a good thing. But dare a patient speak out against a doctor's behaviour? True, the doctor-patient ratio in public hospitals shows how burdened doctors are. But it's good to ask whether that's the complete explanation. Dismissive behaviour by some doctors perhaps comes, in part, from a sense of privilege. That many in govt hospitals are overworked doesn't help. The Goa case isn't one of a kind. Similar miscommunication – where to go for what kind of medical care – plays out daily pan-India. Countries like Australia and UK study doctors' behaviour towards patients in public health systems. Perhaps, that's something India should consider. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
