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Indian Express
15 hours ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Goa GMCH incident: Maharashtra senior doctors write to PM Modi to end harassment against doctors
The Maharashtra Senior Resident Doctors' Association (MSRDA) on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing the recent episode where the chief medical officer (CMO) of the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) was summarily 'suspended' publicly by the state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane. Rane on June 7 reprimanded Dr Rudresh Kurtikar, CMO, Goa Medical College and Hospital, and ordered his immediate suspension for alleged 'misbehaviour' with a patient. The Association has appealed to PM Modi for urgent redressal and safeguards for government doctors in the wake of the recent Goa GMCH incident. 'The reasons allegedly remain unclear and unverified. While Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant later overturned this suspension, the damage to the dignity of the medical officer, and by extension, to the institution and the profession, was already done,' MSRDA said in the statement. Dr Abhijit Helge, President, MSRDA, told The Indian Express that this episode is not merely a bureaucratic misstep. 'It is emblematic of a disturbing trend where doctors are made scapegoats for administrative or political gain,' Dr Helge said. 'The very public nature of this humiliation, without due inquiry or protocol, sets a dangerous precedent. It sends a chilling message that the immense dedication and integrity with which doctors serve society can be disregarded in an instant,' Dr Sarbik De, MSRDA general secretary, said. In their letter to PM Modi, the association members have said that government doctors are the backbone of India's healthcare system. 'From remote rural Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to the emergency rooms of overcrowded urban hospitals, they serve selflessly—often working 48-hour shifts, making life-and-death decisions, managing epidemics, and sacrificing personal comfort and family time, all for the greater good. They are trained for over a decade before they can stand independently as specialists. Yet, despite their noble service, they are increasingly being subjected to verbal abuse, physical assaults, threats, and now, public humiliation by individuals in power,' the letter read. The GMCH incident is reminiscent of earlier instances — the assault on junior doctors in Kolkata in 2019 that led to nationwide protests; the manhandling of doctors in Telangana; and the public blaming of frontline healthcare workers during Covid-19. In all such instances, it was only after substantial outrage that steps were taken, the association doctors have said, while extending support to the doctors of GMCH Goa. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has also written to PM Modi expressing deep concern and disappointment over the recent incidents in Goa and Jharkhand, where medical professionals were subjected to harassment by political leaders at Goa Medical College and Hazaribagh Government Medical College, respectively. 'These distressing actions demonstrate blatant disrespect towards the medical community and contribute to an atmosphere of fear, mistrust, and demoralisation within our already strained healthcare system,' Dr Dilip Bhanushali, National President, IMA, said in the statement on Monday. In its letter dated June 9, IMA has urged PM Modi to amend the Medicare Service Personnel and Medicare Service Institutions Acts across all states to make any form of violence or harassment against healthcare professionals a non-bailable offence, with a minimum punishment of seven years' imprisonment. It has also called for rigorous implementation of the recommendations issued by the National Task Force appointed by the Supreme Court regarding the protection and welfare of resident doctors and healthcare workers. 'We need a public reassurance that will send a clear message that acts of intimidation or violence against doctors will not be tolerated, irrespective of the status or position of the culprits,' IMA has said. Anuradha Mascarenhas is a journalist with The Indian Express and is based in Pune. A senior editor, Anuradha writes on health, research developments in the field of science and environment and takes keen interest in covering women's issues. With a career spanning over 25 years, Anuradha has also led teams and often coordinated the edition. ... Read More
NDTV
a day ago
- Health
- NDTV
Will You Go To Hospital And Apologise To That Doctor? What Goa Minister Told NDTV
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. Goa's health minister, Vishwajit Rane, faced backlash after suspending a doctor for patient care issues. He apologized but refused to do so again, insisting he has served the public. Doctors have demand an in-person apology, threatening strike New Delhi: Vishwajit Rane, the health minister of Goa who stirred up controversy after suspending a doctor over patient care and then apologising, said he would not apologise again. The doctors, who were on warpath, have refused to accept his apology and have demanded that he apologise in person to the doctor concerned. "No, I've already apologized... I think I have apologized to the doctor on national TV. And what more can one expect?" Mr Rane told NDTV in an exclusive interview when asked about the matter. "I'm not here to become a Nayak or become anybody. I'm here to serve the people of the state of Goa and ensure the best of medical facilities are available to the people of Goa," he added. Mr Rane's run in with Dr Rudresh Kuttikar of Goa Medical College and Hospital or GMCH took place during his surprise visit to the premier facility on Saturday. He apparently caught the medical personnel refusing to treat a patient and suspended the CMO in public. Soon after a cell phone video of the encounter appeared on social media, sparking a massive protest by doctors. Despite his apology -- first on social media and then on television -- Mr Rane is facing severe backlash from organisations including the Indian Medical Association and Goa Association of Resident Doctors, that have threatened strike. Asked about the matter, Mr Rane said, "I don't think this is appropriate. I think from both sides, we need to take two steps back. We cannot put the patients at risk. I've always been saying that I'm here for the people of the state of Goa". The minister said he had confronted the doctor after a patient he knew called up for help because he was not getting treatment. "The whole trouble was that when a patient of 77 years doesn't get treatment or doesn't get an injection or whatever the reason may be, I think that thing just pained me," he said. "I was just in the initial part of the video, which has gone viral, is the part where I was pulling him up, which was I said the words and methodology was not appropriate... (but) it was very important for us to see that why was he rude to the particular lady and that was I should have actually heard him out," he added. While Chief Minister has cancelled the suspension of the doctor concerned, the minister clarified that his was not a case of change of heart because of any reprimand from Pramod Sawant. "We are colleagues. We are all working together. There's no question of any reprimand and all here. I have, I myself, when the chief minister called me, I said, there's no question of suspension... I never moved any kind of note for suspension. And the doctor has never been suspended," he added. Asked if he would like to apologise again through NDTV, Mr Rane said, "I would like to tell him that I have apologised to you and your family, doctor, and you should accept that apology... I don't think such behaviour on my part would be there again... And it's important both of us work together as a team... Our issue is we can both settle down and have a cup of tea together and resolve the issue".
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
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.
The Wire
a day ago
- Health
- The Wire
Doctor Humiliated by Goa Health Minister Rejects His ‘Studio' Apology, Demands a Public One
New Delhi: Dr Rajesh Kuttikar, the casualty medical officer (CMO) of Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), who was last week humiliated by state's health minister Vishwajit Rane in a public and televised manner, has refused to accept his apology. Earlier this morning, June 9, Rane tendered an apology in an X post, saying, 'During the broadcast with Prudent Media last night, I openly extended my heartfelt apology to Dr. Rudresh Kuttikar for the harsh words spoken by me during my visit to GMC.' However, news channel In Goa 24X7 has reported that Dr Kuttikar has rejected the minister's apology as a 'studio apology', which was insufficient. Instead of apologising on the social media platform, Dr Kuttikar, reportedly demanded that Rane visit the same site at the hospital where he humiliated the doctor and apologise to him in front of the people. 'We require a public apology in the casualty [department] itself within 24 hours,' he said, while speaking to the press . He added that if the minister failed to do so, doctors would proceed on strike. Rane wrote a long post on X as part of his apology. 'In the heat of the moment, my emotions overtook my expression, and I deeply regret the manner in which I addressed the situation,' he said. 'It was never my intention to undermine or disrespect the dignity of any medical professional,' he added. During the broadcast with Prudent Media last night, 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… — Vishwajit Rane (@visrane) June 9, 2025 This was after he refused to apologise in a previous post on X. On June 7, Rane had made a surprise visit to the hospital. He went there for inspection after a patient who needed Vitamin B-12 shot apparently went to the casualty department and was allegedly refused. The casualty ward is usually restricted for emergency services and regular services are offered by other departments. Rane was accompanied by cameras when he stormed inside the casualty ward and enquired where the CMO, Kuttikar, was. He lashed out at Kuttikar saying he should 'learn to control your tongue'. 'Put your hands out [of the pocket] when you are standing in front of me and remove your mask while I'm speaking to you,' the minister told the doctor. He mocked him saying that a doctor must learn to behave himself. As the doctor tried to offer an explanation, Rane shut him off. He ordered the medical superintendent to suspend Kuttikar immediately. The whole fiasco quickly took shape into a full-blown battle between the doctors and the government, with Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant stepping in on June 8 to say that Kuttikar would not be suspended. I have reviewed the issue at Goa Medical College and held discussions with the Health Minister. I want to assure the people of Goa that Dr. Rudresh Kuttikar will not be suspended. The State Government and our dedicated medical team remain fully committed to ensuring the highest… — Dr. Pramod Sawant (@DrPramodPSawant) June 8, 2025 However, the matter did not rest there. On June 8, the Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) issued an ultimatum to the government saying if the health minister failed to apologise in the next 48 hours, they would proceed on a strike. They also demanded that the 'VIP culture' must end, especially in the emergency department where 'treatment must be dictated by principles of triage [prioritising patients according to the medical needs] and clinical urgency and not by social or political status/affiliation of the patient'. Kuttikar became the target of Rane's barrage of harsh remarks because he refused to administer Vitamin B-12 shot in the emergency services department. BREAKING: Resident doctors of Goa have given a 48 hour ultimatum to the Health Minister, otherwise GARD will go on indefinite strike! Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane tried to give a political masterclass at Goa Medical College (GMC) yesterday following the 2 Rs toolkit for… — Dr. Datta M.D. (AIIMS Delhi) (@DrDatta_AIIMS) June 8, 2025 Although GARD hasn't shared its decision about the impending strike, with Kuttikar reportedly rejecting the minister's apology, it is likely that the doctors would go on with their strike and shut down the routine services. Meanwhile, emergency care would continue – as is the case with any mass protest of doctors. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
News18
3 days ago
- Health
- News18
Goa CM Assures No Suspension Of Doctor After Health Minister's Video Berating Him Sparks Row
Last Updated: In a video, Rane was seen losing his cool and berating Dr Rudresh Kuttikar during his surprise visit to the hospital after reportedly receiving a complaint against the latter. Amid the row Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane reprimanding the chief medical officer (CMO) of Goa Medical College and Hospital and ordering his suspension, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday assured that the senior doctor would not be suspended. What's The Row? In a now viral video, Rane was seen losing his cool and berating Dr Rudresh Kuttikar during his surprise visit to the hospital yesterday after reportedly receiving a complaint against the latter. Dr Kurtikar was fired publicly and was later suspended on Rane's orders. The minister's actions to fire the on-duty CMO had drawn criticism and outrage from the netizens and Indian Medical Association. CM Sawant Assures No Suspension Sawant said he reviewed the issue and discussed it with Rane. In a post on X, he said, 'I have reviewed the issue at Goa Medical College and held discussions with the Health Minister. I want to assure the people of Goa that Dr Rudresh Kuttikar will not be suspended." I have reviewed the issue at Goa Medical College and held discussions with the Health Minister. I want to assure the people of Goa that Dr. Rudresh Kuttikar will not be State Government and our dedicated medical team remain fully committed to ensuring the highest… — Dr. Pramod Sawant (@DrPramodPSawant) June 8, 2025 Meanwhile, the minister defended his decision citing 'arrogant behaviour" by the official towards a patient. He refused to apologise for losing his cool, stating that he stood up for a patient who was denied care. 'You are here to serve humanity, not your ego, behave properly with patients," Rane told the doctor. Speaking to the media later in the evening, he said that his tone and words 'could have been more measured." 'Yes, as the health minister, I did intervene and I accept that my tone and words could have been more measured. I am not above reflection or criticism. I take full responsibility for how I communicated, and I assure you such an approach will not be repeated. However, what I will not apologise for is standing up for a patient who was denied care," he said. He noted that doctors hold a noble position in society and most of them at the hospital serve with dedication, 'but when arrogance seeps into duty, when compassion is replaced with indifference, it is my responsibility to take action." First Published: June 08, 2025, 19:08 IST
