The Maharashtra State Association of Resident Doctors has expressed approval of the arrest of Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre and his associates for assaulting doctors, including a female doctor, at a Thane hospital. Despite this, they confirmed their intention to proceed with a planned black ribbon protest. The protest aims to address the escalating violence against medical professionals and will involve healthcare workers observing a black ribbon stir in government hospitals and medical colleges across the state.
The arrested corporator, along with three others, was apprehended by Thane police following the filing of an FIR against them. They were subsequently taken to a government hospital for medico-legal examination, with further legal proceedings to follow. The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors emphasized that the arrest sends a clear message that violence against healthcare workers will not be tolerated. The planned state-wide protest is not solely in response to this specific incident but also serves to protest the growing number of violent acts against healthcare workers in the state.
The disturbing incident occurred at Shastri Nagar hospital in Dombivli on July 6, when the corporator and his supporters forcibly entered the hospital premises and physically assaulted doctors, alleging negligence and dereliction of duty. The violent episode, captured on camera, showed the corporator and his accomplices physically attacking the medical staff, sparking widespread condemnation from the public and the medical community. A case was registered against Mhatre and others after a video of the assault circulated on social media, leading to their arrest from their residences.
Hospital officials reported that the violence erupted when doctors advised the family of a newborn to transfer the infant to another facility due to a lack of available beds in the neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the hospital.
