Surgeon resigns, protest planned

MUMBAI, Aug 27: An honorary orthopaedic surgeon with Bhagwati Hospital resigned today and private hospitals from Jogeshwari to Dahisar de...

MUMBAI, Aug 27: An honorary orthopaedic surgeon with Bhagwati Hospital resigned today and private hospitals from Jogeshwari to Dahisar decided to down shutters for a day, as doctors closed ranks to protest Tuesday8217;s rioting at Bhagwati Hospital, where a BJP leader, injured in a shootout, had succumbed to his injuries. Alleging medical negligence on the part of the attending surgeon, Dr D V Bhagat, a mob of around 500 people, comprising mostly BJP workers, had resorted to stone-throwing and destruction of both the civic hospital as well as Dr Bhagat8217;s private clinic located a kilometer away from the hospital.

The Indian Medical Association has, while condemning the incident, decided that a more trenchant protest needs to be made against the increasing attacks on the medical community. They have demanded an apology from the BJP and compensation for their colleague. Dr Bhagat has been given police protection and is at an undisclosed location. Doctors gathered at the IMA8217;s Bombay Western Suburbs office at Vile Parle today recounted incidents of what they perceived to be a spate of attacks on the medical fraternity. Dr Arshad Ghulam Mohammad, vice president of the IMA, Bombay West branch, cited an earlier incident of the Ghatkopar nursing home kidnapping where the owner of the nursing home was arrested on charges of abetment of crime. Similarly, in another case at Goregaon, he alleged, the police had seized the surgical instruments of another doctor claiming the 8220;weapons8221; used in the operation that resulted in the death had to be 8220;confiscated.8221;

Tuesday8217;s meeting, also highlighted the ambiguity surrounding the role of senior BJP leaders from Borivli in the rioting. While some doctors claimed that the city8217;s deputy mayor, BJP councillor Gopal Shetty, who was present at the hospital with Mishra, had almost saved the life of Dr Bhagat by escorting him to the police van, Dr Paralkar, who put in his papers at Bhagwati today, quoted hospital staff saying that Shetty was in fact inciting the mob. 8220;Two truckloads of police stood by and watched as the mob rushed towards the private clinic of Dr Bhagat,8221; said Paralkar adding that municipal hospitals were no longer safe places to work in.

Fighting against naming any particular party, speakers criticised goondaism. Dr Prabhakar Rao, president of the Association of Medical Consultants remarked sarcastically that today, it was politicians who dispensed instant justice8217;. 8220;We don8217;t need consumer courts and police inquiries, or the coroner8217;s court to tell us who is responsible for a death. Today we have people who can immediately tell you that it was the doctor8217;s mistake,8221; he said. He expressed wonder at the fact that a mob of 500 people had gathered at the unearthly8217; hour of 6 am on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a one-man inquiry team has been set up to look into the matter. Its report is expected to be in within three days. The IMA has demanded that an independent inquiry be held into the mob behaviour and the guilty be punished according to law.

Two families fued

Two men, two families, two stories, yet linked by a common incident 8211; the violent death of former chief of BJP8217;s Borivli unit, Om Prakash Mishra. A day after Mishra, succumbed to his wounds suffered of an assassin8217;s bullet at Bhagwati Hospital, under Dr D V Bhagat8217;s care, the latter continues to remain under police protection away from home. In fact, as adviced by the police, he is nowhere in the immediate vicinity of Borivli. And even as his family nervously awaits his return home, the grieving family of Mishra want him booked and punished.

Dr Bhagat8217;s family8217;s only contact with him is through his mobile phone. His wife Jyotsna told Express Newsline: 8220;My husband has never said no to any operations8230;his very life is his patients. Even on Tuesday the day Mishra was gunned down, he had rushed to Bhagwati in the middle of the night to perform an operation at 3 am. Why is he being singled out.8221;

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Dr Bhagat8217;s nursing home is shut, his patients have been transferred to another nursing home nearby. The shreds of glass are still littered about in the nursing home as a lone police constable sits there on duty. Dr Bhagat when contacted said he was in the operation theatre OT when the patient was brought in. 8220;I immediately asked him to be brought to the OT8230;but we realised he was in peripheral shock with low BP. I asked for blood to be arranged, for without blood I could not operate as I suspected him to have intra abdominal haemorrage,8221; he said and added he just went home to freshen up as organising blood takes at least half an hour. When he came back the patient had died.

But Mishra8217;s family and neighbours claim he could have been saved if only 8220;the doctor had given him a little time.8221; Mishra8217;s brother-in-law refused to entertain any questions saying his world was shattered. The slain BJP leader8217;s neighbours too blame Dr Bhagat for Mishra8217;s death. For them Mishra was like a member of family and they can8217;t get over his loss. 8220;Don8217;t say he was a nice man, he is a nice man8230;he will continue to be with us,8221; the neighbours said.

Meanwhile, the post-mortem report, which is yet to reach Bhagwati, has revealed that the bullet had punctured all vital organs in the victim8217;s body. It was learnt that 15 fragmants of bullets were removed during the PM.