Goa GMCH incident: Maharashtra senior doctors write to PM Modi to end harassment against doctors

The Maharashtra Senior Resident Doctors' Association (MSRDA) on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, citing the recent episode where the chief medical officer (CMO) of the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) was summarily "suspended" publicly by the state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane.Rane on June 7 reprimanded Dr Rudresh Kurtikar, CMO, Goa Medical College and Hospital, and ordered his immediate suspension for alleged 'misbehaviour' with a patient.

- GNS News Agency, June 17

The Association has appealed to PM Modi for urgent redressal and safeguards for government doctors in the wake of the recent Goa GMCH incident. “The reasons allegedly remain unclear and unverified. While Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant later overturned this suspension, the damage to the dignity of the medical officer, and by extension, to the institution and the profession, was already done,” MSRDA said in the statement. Dr Abhijit Helge, President, MSRDA, told The Indian Express that this episode is not merely a bureaucratic misstep. “It is emblematic of a disturbing trend where doctors are made scapegoats for administrative or political gain,” Dr Helge said. “The very public nature of this humiliation, without due inquiry or protocol, sets a dangerous precedent. It sends a chilling message that the immense dedication and integrity with which doctors serve society can be disregarded in an instant,” Dr Sarbik De, MSRDA general secretary, said.