Held for attack on doctors, corporator admitted to hospital ICU after chest pain; its staff protests

Thane, Jul 9 (PTI) The Shiv Sena corporator, who was arrested for assaulting two doctors at a civic-run medical facility in Maharashtra's Thane, was admitted to the ICU ward of the district hospital after he complained of chest pain, officials said on Thursday. However, medical professionals and staff at the Thane District Civil Hospital, where the corporator - Ramesh Mhatre - was admitted, staged a protest against him over the "unjustified" assault on two members of their fraternity, and sought his immediate disqualification. Mhatre and his aides are accused of assaulting two doctors, including a woman, at the Shastri Nagar Hospital run by the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) in Thane district. The incident, which occurred on Monday evening, was captured on CCTV. A viral video of the incident sparked massive outrage and condemnation. While three aides of the corporator were arrested on Tuesday, he himself was held on Wednesday night. Following his arrest, Mhatre complained of chest pain and was admitted to the Thane District Civil Hospital for treatment, an official said. While Mhatre is receiving treatment inside the hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU), medical officers, nurses, and administrative staff gathered outside the premises to protest over the incident. They raised slogans like "Attacks on doctors must stop" and "Provide security to healthcare workers", asserting that a public representative who attacks frontline medical staff has no moral right to hold a public office. Dr Dheeraj S Mahangade, Additional District Civil Surgeon and senior orthopedic specialist, strongly condemned the assault on doctors, but said the hospital would fulfill its medical obligations (of treating the corporator). He said that Mhatre has only one kidney and suffers from high blood pressure. He is under proper care and is expected to be discharged by Thursday evening or Friday morning, he said. "As doctors, providing treatment is our duty, but under no circumstances can an attack on medical professionals be justified," Dr Mahangade said. He asked whether a public representative would tolerate a similar physical assault from their own constituents, emphasizing the urgent need for robust security measures to ensure a safe working environment for all healthcare workers. The protest saw a large turnout from various departments of the hospital, with staff demanding stringent legal action against the offenders and reinforced security across all public medical facilities. PTI COR NP