A 34-year-old male doctor working at the Wockhardt hospital in Mumbai Central was reportedly booked by the Agripada police for “inappropriately touching” a 44-year-old male Coronavirus patient at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) ward of the hospital on May 1.
The accused had joined the said hospital on April 30, a day before the incident, after the management decided to hire young doctors and keep 60+ years old doctors with co-morbidities at home.
The complainant testified to the police that the doctor made sexual advances towards him in the ICU ward, despite the patient’s resistance. The man even tried to raise an alarm during the assault, post which the hospital staff entered the room.
A police case was registered against the accused under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 269 (negligence), 270 and 271 (malignant act to spread infection) and 377 (unnatural offences). The cops have not arrested the doctor out of fear for contracting the deadly Coronavirus infection. He has been quarantined at his house in Thane.
After the victim complained about the incident to the hospital authorities, they informed the BMC and the police. In a statement, the hospital said, “The doctor was on his first day of duty, having joined on 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.”
