Doctor loses vision in left eye after attack by mob

Mumbai: A senior orthopaedic resident doctor lost his vision in the left eye after being assaulted by relatives of a patient who had been brought in with a head injury at the Government Medical College (GMC) in Dhule on Sunday night. One of the nine people who were arrested in the case later committed suicide in the Dhule police station.

The doctor, Kandivali native Rohan Mahamumkar, had asked the patient’s family to take him to another centre, as no neurosurgeon was present at the time, which infuriated them.

Dr Mahamumkar has suffered an orbital fracture and his left eye was permanently damaged in the attack. The state health minister has ordered a probe into the incident.

The accused were arrested early on Tuesday morning after the matter was reported to the Dhule police and they were remanded in police custody till Friday. One accused committed suicide using his clothes in the police station toilet, said Dhule superintendent of police S. Chaitanya.
 
Recounting the incident, Dr Mahamumkar told The Asian Age, “The patient brought to me was showing no response, since it was an accident case. I took the patient for the CT scan, but he was moving constantly. He had a brain haemorrhage and there was no neurosurgeon available, so I recommended a big centre where the treatment could be done.”

“At this, the patient’s kin started hitting me with rods, scissors and chairs. They smashed the dressing table on my head and I fell unconscious. One relative started punching me on my left eye. I losty consciousness and woke up in the ICU,” he said, adding, “The incident was petrifying. I have got a skull fracture, and I lost my vision in the left eye. The mob broke my cell phone and tore my shirt,” he said. According to the police, the accused have been identified as Vinod Vetal, Chandrakant Lashkar, Ajay Lashkar, Eknath Kusalkar, Lakhan Kusalkar, Ambadas Kusalkar, Sunil Kusalkar,  Chotu Vithekar and Pradip Vetal.” “Out of these, Pradip Vetal committed suicide using his clothes in the police station’s toilet when he was in custody,” said a police officer.