Incident at Government Medical College Handwara
Assault on Surgeon in Outpatient Department
In a troubling incident at the Government Medical College (GMC) Handwara, a surgeon on duty in the outpatient department (OPD) was reportedly subjected to verbal abuse and physical assault by a patient. A video circulating on social media captures the confrontation, where the patient claims to have waited for half an hour and accuses the doctor of slapping him. The patient further criticized the doctor for discussing personal matters during consultation hours.
Surgeon’s Response to Allegations
The surgeon involved has denied the allegations of misconduct, providing a detailed account of the incident. He explained that he was attending to a patient who had two ultrasound reports—one indicating acute appendicitis and the other showing normal results. These reports were issued by a sonologist and a radiologist, respectively. The doctor advised the patient to consider the radiologist’s report and conducted a clinical examination for further management. “There were five to six doctors present in the OPD at the time. The consultation lasted barely five to six minutes,” he clarified.
Escalation of the Situation
The situation escalated when another patient, also claiming to have waited for half an hour, began recording and live-streaming the consultation on social media. When asked to stop recording and leave, the OPD and hospital authorities notified the police. Before law enforcement arrived, the patient allegedly returned with one or two accomplices, forcefully entered the OPD, broke down the door, and assaulted the medical staff. During this attack, the doctor suffered a finger fracture. Portions of the incident were reportedly captured by CCTV cameras installed outside the OPD.
Reactions from the Medical Community
The assault has ignited outrage within the medical community. A doctor expressed strong condemnation of the attack in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “We strongly condemn this. An attack on a doctor is an attack on the healthcare system itself. This dangerous trend must stop.”
The Jammu and Kashmir Medical Students’ Association also denounced the assault in a social media statement, emphasizing that violence against healthcare professionals is intolerable and disrupts the provision of essential services. They called for strict disciplinary and legal action against those responsible.
Additionally, the Democratic Medical Association (DMA India) condemned the incident and urged authorities to take immediate action, tagging relevant law enforcement agencies in their social media post.
Context of Rising Violence Against Healthcare Workers
This incident adds to the growing concern over violence against medical professionals, as highlighted by reports indicating 149 attacks on doctors in Delhi over the past five years. The medical community continues to advocate for a zero-tolerance policy towards violence in healthcare settings.