Woman throws slipper at doctor on duty, hospital staff shut down OPD services in protest

Doctors and staff at the Araluguppe Mallegowda District Hospital in Karnataka staged a protest by closing the outpatient department after a woman relative of a patient allegedly threw a footwear at the physician on Tuesday.

According to officials, when Dr Venkatesh B S was treating an injured patient Irfan in the emergency unit, a group of the patient's relatives gathered and created a disturbance. When the doctor asked everyone except the patient to leave, an argument ensued. Taslim, one of the patient's relatives, allegedly removed her footwear, threw it at the doctor, and then grabbed him by the collar.


In response to the incident, other doctors and staff at the hospital protested by shutting down the outpatient department. They assembled outside the district surgeon's office, demanding the immediate arrest of those involved in the assault.

BJP MLC CT Ravi shared a video of the alleged incident on 'X' and called for the immediate arrest of those responsible for the "despicable act." He urged home minister G Parameshwara and DGP Alok Mohan to take action to protect the medical staff and create an environment where they can work with confidence in law and order.

The District Surgeon formally reported the incident to the police, citing abuse, assault, and threats against the doctor’s life. He called for legal action against the assailants and requested increased security for hospital staff to ensure their safety while on duty. Additionally, he asked for security to be provided to doctors and staff at the hospital to ensure they can perform their duties safely.

Chikkamagaluru SP, Vikram Amathe, confirmed to news agency PTI that an FIR has been registered and the woman has been arrested. He said, "We have convinced the Doctors who were protesting about (demanding) registering a case and making the arrest, and they have subsequently withdrawn the protest."

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