Health Minister Vishwajit Rane Saturday reprimanded the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of Goa Medical College and Hospital and ordered his immediate suspension for alleged ‘misbehaviour’ with a patient.
The incident took place when the minister visited the hospital for an inspection and received a complaint against CMO Dr Rudresh Kurtikar for allegedly misbehaving with a patient who had visited the hospital with a relative to get an injection.
Speaking about the incident, an official said that a patient had come to the casualty ward for a B12 vitamin injection.
“The doctor told the patient to go to the OPD [outpatient department] or a ward or the nearby primary health centre for the injection, since casualty is only for emergency patients,” the official said.
In a purported video, Rane could be seen storming into a hospital ward and enquiring from a staffer about the whereabouts of the CMO.
Rane then pulled up the senior doctor, saying: “You learn to control your tongue. You are a doctor. Don’t force me to act. Put your hands out [of the pocket] when you are standing in front of me. I generally don’t lose my cool, but you have to behave yourself. However loaded [burdened] you are, you will talk properly to the patients and guide the patients…Remove the mask when I am speaking to you”.
“These doctors don’t understand. Unless you understand…you are here to serve humanity. You are not here with your bloody ego,” Rane said.
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The minister then asked the medical superintendent to issue a suspension order, saying: “…Kick him out from here”.
Dr Kurtikar offered an explanation, but was told to “shut up” by Rane.
“You are not authorised to speak when I am speaking. You get out from here. You are a doctor to serve the poor people. I am suspending you. I want him relieved right now. You just understand one thing, you are dealing with me. First learn to shut up, when I am talking to you. You can be anything. You want to file a case, go and file a case, but I am telling you are suspended,” he said.
He goes on to say: “When the investigation starts, you give your explanation, that time I will consider whether I want to take you back or not. Otherwise [for] next two years, you will be suspended and you will remain…as long as my tenure is there. Poor people have to be served. I don’t want to listen to you. I am suspending you from this moment, go home before my blood pressure boils and I take some other action on you”.
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Dr Rudresh Kurtikar could not be reached for a comment. Health Minister Vishwajit Rane did not respond to calls and texts.
In a statement, Goa state branch of Indian Medical Association (IMA) said it “strongly condemns this unruly act by the Health Minister on our fellow colleague”.
“The IMA Goa state branch is deeply disturbed and profoundly disappointed to note the circulating video that clearly shows the Health Minister of Goa, accompanied by media persons, entering the emergency ward of Goa Medical College and, based solely on alleged complaint conveyed over the phone by a press reporter, proceeding to suspend a senior doctor from the emergency department without giving him an opportunity to present his side of the facts besides publicly berating him in a tone and manner that amounts to emotional assault on the duty doctors,” it said.
The association added that it “strongly condemn[s] this arbitrary and high-handed behaviour that has humiliated and victimised a dedicated medical professional in full view of the public and media”.
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“We urge the authorities to immediately rescind the suspension and reinstate the doctor, while ensuring that a fair trial remains an integral part of any grievance redressal process. IMA Goa firmly stands with the victimized doctor and hopes that better sense and justice prevail,” the statement said.
Girish Chodankar, former president of Goa Pradesh Congress Committee, said the minister’s conduct was “utterly disgraceful, blatantly biased, unprofessional and a clear abuse of power.”
“Instead of handling the matter with maturity and basic human decency, the minister chose public humiliation over dialogue. Regardless of whether the doctor was at fault, denying him the basic right to be heard is unacceptable. A respected doctor was publicly demeaned by someone who should be setting an example of leadership. This isn’t governance, it’s arrogance. We demand a formal and public apology from Vishwajit Rane without delay,” he said.
