A 34-year-old doctor allegedly assaulted a 44-year-old male patient of COVID-19 in the ICU ward of Mumbai's Wockhardt hospital. The incident occurred on May 1, a day after the accused joined the hospital. However, the accused has not been questioned or arrested due to fears of contracting the infection from the victim.
According to the report, the incident occurred around 9:30 am on May 1. The accused is in quarantine inside his home in an apartment block in Thane, and is being monitored, said the Agripada police official.
Meanwhile, the hospital has sacked the accused. "The doctor was on his first day of duty, having joined the previous day. Following the receipt of information of misconduct and as per protocol, the administration immediately informed the police. The services of the doctor were terminated," the hospital said in a statement.
The accused, an MD who had completed his medical education at a Navi Mumbai medical college, joined the hospital on April 30, the same day when the patient was admitted.
Mumbai Police have registered a case under IPC sections 377 (unnatural offences), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of diseases endangering life) and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of diseases endangering life), based on a complaint from the hospital's HR head.
"We have registered the case on the basis of what the HR manager has said in his statement. He told us that the accused was interviewed on April 28 and 29 following which he was hired by the hospital, and April 30 was his first day at work. He committed the offence on the second day," a police officer told reporter.
