"It is very embarrassing to see a person from an inspiring profession behave like that. He disrespected me publicly, which is intolerable. All I demand is an apology," Dr Lakshya Rajat, a postgraduate (PG) resident at the VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi told EdexLive. The hospital has been in the news since November 24 for the verbal attack and harassment of a PG resident by an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer.
Over an altercation about his wife's (Anita Roy) treatment, IPS officer Bijendra Kumar Yadav, lost his cool while interacting with an on-duty PG resident.
"I felt frightened and afraid. What if he would have physically assaulted me? The repercussions would have been disastrous," the PG resident said. The resident was attending a general surgery reference call in the New SIC building in the hospital when this incident occurred.
As per the PG resident, the officer declined to sign an informed consent form, which basically states that the patient or their family understands the risks and potential complications of a medical procedure and chooses to proceed with treatment despite it. Additionally, according to The New Indian Express, Yadav confronted Dr Lakshya as he was dissatisfied with his wife’s treatment.
"Following which, the officer howled rudely at me. He used expletives against my profession," the resident claims. "I am proud of my profession. Despite the disgraceful incident, I am here at the operation theatre (OT) on duty," the resident lamented.
During the incident, the resident was issued threats that he would be removed from the department. "I am at work today and I will continue to work. It is my duty. With hardly over four hours of sleep daily, we work relentlessly in hospitals. Despite all our hard work and pursuing academics for years, we are falling prey to such unacceptable incidents," he said in agony.
Further, making a striking point, the resident questioned, "If personnel of higher designations behave disgracefully, who will want to become a doctor?" The resident further stressed that if residents refrain from performing their duties, the healthcare services will be severely hit.
It is further learnt that the residents suspended their duties on the same night as the incident occurred for over an hour until the administration took note of the matter. "The complaint has not been filed yet. The reason? We don't know," the resident said, demanding an apology from the officer.
RDA's demands
The Resident Doctors Association (RDA) of the college issued a letter on November 25 with these two demands:
1. Ensure accountability for the incident and prevent similar occurrences in the future
2. Reinforce the safety and respect of healthcare professionals within the hospital premises
Other medical organisations have offered their support and demanded an apology from the officer, including the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), the Federation of Resident Doctors' Association (FORDA), the United Doctors Front Association (UDFA), and the Indian Medical Association (IMA).
Notably, the associations have been urging the government to implement the Central Protection Act for doctors' safety and security at work.
