Raipur – A serious case of alleged verbal abuse and intimidation against a senior female doctor at Narayanpur District Hospital by an Additional Collector has stirred widespread outrage in Chhattisgarh’s medical community. The incident reportedly took place on Friday night, around 10 PM, when the doctor was attending to a critically injured ICU patient, and the official arrived seeking treatment for his child.
The child reportedly had a mild case of diarrhoea, while the doctor was engaged in treating a head injury patient with hypovolemic shock. When asked to wait briefly due to the critical emergency, the officer allegedly forced his way into the ICU, verbally abused the doctor, and demanded immediate attention.
Threats and Abuse Alleged
According to eyewitnesses and a viral social media post, the officer did not stop even after his child received medical attention. He is accused of threatening the doctor with political repercussions, allegedly saying he would have her transferred or suspended, and insulted her using phrases like “do kaudi ke doctor” (a derogatory Hindi phrase meaning “a worthless doctor”).
Medical Associations Rally in Protest
The incident drew strong condemnation from major doctor associations in the state, including:
- Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA)
- Chhattisgarh Doctors’ Federation (CGDF)
- Chhattisgarh Indian Doctors Association (CIDA)
Doctors staged protests in Raipur on Saturday, submitting a memorandum to the State Health Minister demanding:
- A public apology from the official
- A transparent and fair investigation
- Administrative safeguards to protect doctors’ dignity and safety
- Priority allotment of F-type housing for doctors
- Reforms in inspection and complaint handling processes
Dr Resham Singh (JDA President), Dr Heera Singh (CGDF President), and Dr Piyush Srivastava jointly called for immediate government intervention, warning of statewide service suspension if no satisfactory action is taken.
Government Initiates Inquiry
Narayanpur District Collector Pratishtha Mamgain confirmed receiving the complaint and said that an official inquiry had been launched, led by the District Panchayat CEO, who is also a doctor.
“Initially, the complainant was reluctant to cooperate, and OPD services were affected. Now that the doctor has agreed to participate, we hope for a swift resolution,” said the Collector.
Demand for Policy Reforms
In addition to disciplinary action, the doctors have proposed systemic reforms:
- Limit hospital inspections to IAS officers
- Assign health nodal reviews only to senior administrators
- Ensure complaints against doctors are handled solely by health department officials (CMHO/CS)
- Instruct all collectors to maintain respectful conduct with medical professionals
- Prevent punitive actions against doctors engaged in peaceful protests
