Female Doctor Attacked at Sivaganga Medical College Hospital; 20-Year-Old Arrested

A female doctor undergoing Compulsory Rotary Medical Internship (CRMI) was allegedly attacked by an unidentified person while returning to her hostel at Sivaganga Government Medical College Hospital, Tamil Nadu, late on Monday night. A 20-year-old man was arrested by the Sivaganga police on Wednesday for assaulting a woman doctor .

The shocking incident forced CRMI doctors to suspend their duties on Tuesday in protest, demanding increased security measures to protect healthcare professionals.

According to hospital sources, the doctor was returning to her hostel when an unidentified person covered her face with a cloth, pushed her, and also slapped her before fleeing. The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of doctors working late.

On Tuesday morning, doctors stopped their work, protested, and demanded that the authorities take immediate action against the attacker.

The Sivaganga Town police have registered a case under various sections, including the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act.

The Doctors’ Association for Social Equality (DASE) has called for immediate security measures in all government hospitals, especially installation of CCTV cameras in vulnerable areas, as was earlier announced after the Kolkata rape and murder case.

The police arrested a 20-year-old man named Santosh from Avarangadu in Sivaganga.

During the investigation, it was revealed that on the day of the incident, Santosh, following a quarrel with his mother, planned to spend the night in the visitors’ waiting room at the hospital.

In an intoxicated state, he attempted to assault a woman doctor by trying to cover her face with a cloth. A passer-by who noticed the struggle raised an alarm, prompting another bystander to rush to the scene. The suspect then fled from the area.

Officials from the Directorate of Medical Education, who visited the hospital to assess the available facilities on the campus, discovered the absence of essential amenities such as CCTV cameras along the route to the hostel and adequate street lighting within the hospital premises. They also learned from hospital staff that a waiting room intended for doctors’ use within the hospital building had been kept closed.

In response, the authorities instructed hospital officials to keep the waiting room open for on-duty doctors.

A study by the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has revealed that over 75% of doctors have encountered some form of violence in the workplace. ^[1,2]

An analysis indicated that while government hospitals in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh reported more cases of violence, private hospitals in Maharashtra and Rajasthan also experienced significant incidents. Notably, 51% of these incidents occurred during night shifts, and 45% took place in emergency wards. ^[3,4]

References:

1. Indian Medical Association. "IMA HQ’s Press Release - 27 April 2021." Indian Medical Association, April 27, 2021. Accessed March 26, 2025. https://ima-india.org/ima/pdfdata/62584IMA-HQs-Press-Release-27042021.pdf.

2. Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy. Violence Against Healthcare Professionals: Recent Legal and Policy Issues. January 31, 2020. Accessed March 26, 2025. https://vidhilegalpolicy.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/200131_Violence-against-Healthcare-Professionals-Recent-Legal-and-Policy-Issues.pdf.

3. Jain, Gaurav et al.. "Workplace violence towards resident doctors in Indian teaching hospitals: A quantitative survey." Tropical Doctor 51, no. 3 (2021): 463-465 https://doi.org/10.1177/00494755211010005

4. Davey, Kevin et al.. "A qualitative study of workplace violence among healthcare providers in emergency departments in India." International Journal of Emergency Medicine 13, no. 1 (2020) https://doi.org/10.1186/s12245-020-00290-0

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Muhammad Faisal Arshad/MSM)