Smile, you're about to go viral: Maharashtra doctors association sets up Facebook page to highlight violence against medics

With increasing cases of violence against doctors by the disgruntles relatives of patients in Maharashtra hospitals, and the failure of the administration to counter it, the resident doctors’ association has decided to turn to social media in an attempt to name and shame the culprits.

The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) has launched a Facebook page called, ‘Hall of shame: save doctors from assaults’ and the description of the page reads ‘It will publicly expose people who have started assaulting doctors who treat them..these shameful incidents must be condemned’.

Explaining the idea behind the page, Dr Sagar Mundada, state president of MARD,was quoted by Pune Mirror  as saying, “Even after grave crimes committed in the past, all the attackers are roaming free. The community that forms the ‘relatives of patents’ are a threat to our lives. The culprit is never caught and action always delayed. We have been asking for a hospital protection Act where the miscreants are thrown into jail for eight years without the possibility of a bail; but the government has failed to keep its promises. Turning to Facebook was the last resort, this is the only way attackers can be exposed." 

The Facebook page has about 270 likes at the time of writing, and has posted several updates about doctors being assaulted across the state.

This development comes after a casualty officer was beaten by patient’s relatives at Indira Gandhi Government Medical College & Hospital in Nagpur, which is reportedly the 16th such incident since July, according to a report by DNA.

The association plans to step up its protests if the government doesn’t take suitable action soon. Dr Sagar Mundada told DNA , “Assault on doctors are on the rise. We have been regularly requesting the government and authorities to beef up the security. Despite this the incidents of assault have gone up,” said Mundada, adding that MARD has expressed a desire to meet with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis by the end of this month_._ He mentioned that if authorities did not beef up security in hospitals by the end of the month, the association plans to go on silent protest in November.

Here are some of the Facebook posts by the page:

Watch this ..how politicians threaten docs..deplorable

Posted by Hall of shame: save doctors from assaults on  Saturday, October 24, 2015

This doctor was recently hit by police on duty..hit with sticks..

Posted by Hall of shame: save doctors from assaults on  Saturday, October 24, 2015

This man hit the casualty medical officer in Iggmc nagpur yesterday ..he is our opening opening member of hall of shame

Posted by Hall of shame: save doctors from assaults on  Sunday, October 25, 2015