On Tuesday, after a railway accident victim succumbed to her injuries, her relatives assaulted the on-duty surgeon at Central Hospital, Ulhasnagar. The vicious attack left Dr Shashikant Dode with a fractured rib, an injured eardrum and several bruises all over his body. Three youngsters were arrested in the case by the Central police station. The deceased patient was a 38-year-old who was run over by a CST-bound train while crossing the tracks.

Unfortunately, the assault on the doctor is part of an increasingly familiar pattern. Doctors tend to patients, something unfortunate happens, like the death of the patient, and relatives go berserk. At times, they assault the doctor and vandalise the clinic or hospital. The fact that doctors are now reaching out to private security agencies to protect them shows how serious the problem is. Several hospitals have also hired additional security to protect doctors, who have been advised to meet patients’ relatives with security in tow, in case of death.