Woman dies during childbirth, man slaps doctor at Kolkata hospital

Manglore Today News Network / NDTV

Kolkata, Feb 20, 2020:  A doctor was slapped by the relatives of a 33-year-old woman, who died this morning at a private hospital in Kolkata. The woman had delivered a baby by caesarean section on Wednesday.

 

Her relatives said she seemed to be recovering, but at 3 am, the family received a call that her condition was critical. By the time they reached the hospital, she had died.

The staff at Calcutta Medical Research Institute (CMRI) Hospital and gynaecologist Dr Basav Mukherjee were meeting the distraught family when Tapen Bhattacharya, the husband of the woman who died, got up from his seat and slapped the doctor.

The commotion that followed prompted the hospital management to call in the police.

In a CCTV footage, Mr Bhattacharya is seen sitting on a sofa while his family members are talking with the staff. He suddenly gets up and lunges towards the doctor and slaps him. The doctor is pushed back onto a chair.

"The doctor tried to explain the unfortunate incident to the family and advised for a post-mortem. Despite that the family members in anger and rage not only abused the doctor but also assaulted him and created havoc in the hospital premises," CMRI said in a statement. All this happened around 9 am.

The family has filed a police complaint against the hospital, alleging negligence. CMRI is also considering to file a counter police complaint.

Doctors in Kolkata, not associated with this hospital, have condemned the attack on the gynaecologist. They said such attacks are condemnable and will discourage the doctors from interacting with and treating patients.