Nagpur: The brutal attack on senior paediatrician Dr Vinod Gandhi, critical care specialist Dr Mahesh Turale and other medical staff inside the ICU of Colors Hospital on Thursday has brought into sharp focus a disturbing pattern of violence against doctors and healthcare workers in Nagpur.A 20-strong mob allegedly stormed the ICU following the death of a three-year-old girl and thrashed 63-year-old Dr Gandhi and injured Dr Turale, who tried to intervene.At least four such cases of assault, threats and intimidation, following patient deaths have surfaced in a month, with no arrests so far. While FIRs were registered in three cases, a police complaint in the fourth assault was withdrawn after relatives issued death threats to a cardiologist, said top sources.The September 3 incident at Alright Hospital, Jafar Nagar, followed the death of a 36-year-old cardiac patient, with relatives allegedly creating a ruckus, confronting cardiologist Dr Irshad Pathan and damaging property. At Hope Hospital on September 5, seven people were named in an FIR after the management alleged that those connected with a patient’s relatives demanded ₹12 lakh from Dr BK Murali, threatening to get the hospital’s licence cancelled and have its premises razed.The most alarming incidents have unfolded inside ICUs, which are restricted areas. At AIIMS-Nagpur, around 8-10 attendants allegedly entered the medical ICU after a patient’s death on September 22, assaulted an on-duty junior resident and threatened to shoot him. The incident triggered protests by around 600 resident doctors two days later.Doctors say the lack of swift police action has emboldened perpetrators. Police officials cited legal constraints — Maharashtra Medicare Service-Persons and Medical Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2010, provides for a maximum three-year jail term, while provisions governing offences punishable with imprisonment of less than seven years under the new criminal-law framework restrict routine arrests. However, doctors point out that such cases rarely result in arrests even before Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) came into force.“Maharashtra Medicare Services Act, 2010, needs a comprehensive review to strengthen deterrence, particularly for assaults in ICUs and emergency-care areas. Its provisions should be aligned with BNS and the new criminal-procedure framework, with proportionate enhanced penalties for aggravated violence and expedited trials,” said Dr Tushar Gawad, unit head, KIMS-Kingsway Hospitals. “Legislation alone cannot solve this problem. Strict enforcement, prompt police action and accountability for delays are equally essential.”Dr Sadashiv Bhole, a director of Seven Star Hospital, said growing violence was driving good doctors away from the profession. “We cannot work in constant fear and intimidation. Police need to take stern action. Society has lost fear of police and the law,” he said.Dr Rishabh Dwivedi, president of AIIMS Nagpur Resident Doctors Association, called for stricter enforcement, better hospital security and a change in public attitudes. “No doctor deserves to be assaulted for doing their duty. What is more disappointing is the lack of swift action against the guilty,” he said.Aejaz Shami, head of branding and communications at KIMS-Kingsway Hospitals, urged time-bound investigations, arrests and tighter access controls in critical-care areas, backed by trained security personnel and CCTV surveillance.Renowned orthopaedician Dr Sanjiv Choudhary said conflict often begins with mismatched expectations on treatment and repeated demands for doctors to explain the same situation to multiple relatives. But doctors say such disagreements cannot justify violence, particularly in ICUs where attacks endanger critically ill patients.
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