IGMH doctor faces probe for rude treatment of patient aides
The doctor left the ward saying he was not going to see the patient and no other pulmonologist had seen the patient until the posting on social media.
By
Aishath Fareeha Abdulla
A doctor at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) is being investigated in a case of inappropriate behaviour toward a child's assistants, the hospital said on Monday.
On Monday, social media was abuzz with rumours that a specialist in respiratory diseases, who works at IGMH, had addressed a patient's helpers in an inappropriate manner.
IGMH issued a brief statement on Monday saying that they are aware of a case of a doctor being discussed on social media and that the hospital is taking it as a serious matter.
Sharing the incident, the patient's aunt said in a Facebook post that the child has been undergoing treatment at IGMH for lung disease since last month.
The child is being treated in the children's ward, but the child’s condition keeps getting worse, she said.
The child has been admitted to the hospital for several days, and the aunt says that the parents have never addressed a doctor or nurse in a dissatisfied or rude manner.
However, the doctor who was on call at the time came to do his rounds on Tuesday afternoon spoke to the family thus:
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When the doctor asked the parents what had happened, the mother said she didn't know what was happening and that all the paient reports and history were in the custody of the hospital, and in response the doctor got upset and angry
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"Do you know who I am? You can't talk to me like that," he began shouting at the patient's parents in the ward
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However, the patient's parents did not say anything bad to the doctor; the mother was responding to the doctor
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The doctor got angry, took off the mask from his face, and went towards the father
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The father couldn't stand it, and called out "You stopped after starting a strong medication," and the doctor went at the father again
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The mother also lost it, and said, "You have none of the qualities of a doctor"; in response, the doctor said to the mother, "You don't even have the characteristics of a mother”.
The patient’s aunt said the doctor also called for police to be brought to the scene and made ruckus inside the ward shouting that the parents should be reported for harassing him.
The doctor was so angry that he was trembling, the aunt said. Finally, teh sick child in bed couldn't stand it and addressed the doctor, "Stop it, get out of here," the post read.
The doctor left the ward saying he was not going to see the patient and no other pulmonologist had seen the patient until the posting on social media.
The patient's aunt said she had informed the duty manager of the hospital and would report the matter to the hospital.
