Two doctors remain traumatized after a recent assault by supporters of a Shiv Sena corporator.

KALYAN: “My daughter wakes up from sleep fearing someone is attacking her. The assault has left both doctors mentally traumatised,” said Dr Mahendra Baviskar, father of Dr Srushti Baviskar, while speaking about the aftermath of the attack on two doctors at KDMC’s Shastri Nagar Hospital in Dombivli.Three days after incident describing the incident to media as “highly condemnable” and a “cowardly attack”, Dr Baviskar said the psychological scars of the assault continue to haunt both doctors. “They suddenly wake up in fear, believing someone is coming to assault them again. Despite the trauma, neither of the two doctors has resigned from service,” he said.The assault on the doctors by supporters of Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre had sparked outrage across Maharashtra, prompting doctors to suspend all non-emergency services at KDMC-run hospitals, including Shastri Nagar, Rukminibai, Harkishandas, Shaktidham and Vasant Valley maternity hospitals, while emergency services remained operational. The Vishnu Nagar police later registered a case against corporator Ramesh Mhatre and others under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2010.Referring to Mhatre’s arrest, Dr Baviskar thanked Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and said the family had expected the law to take its course.“We knew Ramesh Mhatre would be arrested. We are thankful to the Chief Minister for ensuring action was taken,” he said.Dr Baviskar urged the Maharashtra government to strengthen security at all government hospitals, saying doctors should never have to fear violence while treating patients.“Doctors must be able to provide medical care in a safe environment. The government should take strict and concrete steps to ensure the safety of healthcare workers. KDMC hospitals should also have robust security so that such incidents are never repeated,” he said.He also thanked Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar and several other political leaders for extending support to the injured doctors and their families after the incident.

A total of 11 people have sustained injuries in various rain-related incidents during the monsoon season in Thane.

THANE: Three people have died and nearly 800 others have been evacuated due to rain-related incidents across Maharashtra’s Thane district over the past week, while a lightning strike injured two people in the latest weather-related incident, officials said on Thursday.According to an official release issued by the district administration, the fatalities include one person each from Thane city, Ambernath and Mira Bhayander.A total of 11 people have sustained injuries in various rain-related incidents during the monsoon season, officials said.On Wednesday, a lightning strike injured two people, including a teenage girl, in Murbad taluka, tehsildar Abhijit Deshmukh said. Both were rushed to the Tokawde Primary Health Centre and are reported to be out of danger.In separate incidents, two young boys drowned in a river and a nullah in Bhiwandi on July 5 and July 6, respectively. Search operations to trace them are still underway, officials said.Meanwhile, the body of an unidentified man was recovered from the swollen Potgaon river in Murbad. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination, and police are working to establish his identity.Heavy rainfall has caused widespread disruption, prompting rescue teams to shift 797 people from 229 families to safer locations.The rains have also caused extensive damage to infrastructure, with 136 houses suffering partial or complete collapse across the district. In addition, five huts, two poultry farms, one community hall and an Anganwadi centre have been destroyed.The district administration said authorities acted swiftly on Wednesday after hill torrents threatened to wash away the Adarsh Chawl locality in Kalwa.A spot inspection found that natural drainage channels and nullahs carrying stormwater down the hill had become severely clogged with debris, causing rainwater to overflow into nearby residential units.“The Thane Municipal Corporation immediately deployed personnel to clear the choked nullahs, effectively restoring the natural flow of the hill torrents and safely diverting the water into the main city drainage network,” the release said.The district administration said no structural collapses occurred in the Kalwa incident, and no loss of life or financial damage was reported.(With inputs from PTI)

Doctors ended their strike after Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre’s arrest for assaulting hospital staff.

KALYAN: The arrest of Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre for the assault of a Dombivli hospital’s staffers on Monday over purported delay in a pregnant patient’s treatment, along with assurances from civic chief Abhinav Goel on adequate security at hospitals, prompted doctors and healthcare workers to end their strike.Routine outpatient and non-emergency services were halted on Tuesday in protest against the attack and private doctors had joined the stir in solidarity on Wednesday.Prior to his arrest from his Dombivli home, Mhatre called a press conference to deny that he had hit a woman doctor.He blamed “the camera angle” and claimed he had only tried to snatch her phone as she continued speaking on it while he was seeking information on the patient’s condition. “She is like my daughter. It is not part of Shiv Sena’s values to raise a hand on a woman,” he said.DCP (Kalyan zone) Atul Zende said his alleged associates, Akshay Karande, Ramesh Pawar and Pramod Nikam, were produced before a Kalyan court and remanded into two days of police custody.

Party loyalist named in 12 other cases

The medical fraternity’s two-day strike—private doctors joined on a call by Indian Medical Association (IMA)—affected hundreds of patients who visited hospitals for routine consultations and follow-up treatments.Central Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors said it will observe a token black ribbon protest on Thursday across all govt medical colleges and hospitals in Maharashtra to oppose “the increasing incidence of violence against healthcare workers across the state”.An IMA delegation met DGP Sadanand Date. “He assured us that instructions will be issued to all police stations across the state to implement Maharashtra Medical Act whenever there is violence against a healthcare establishment,” said Dr Santosh Kadam of IMA.The attack drew strong condemnation not just from opposition parties but also the Sena brass. Shrikant Shinde, Kalyan MP and deputy CM Eknath Shinde’s son, made it clear that Sena would not shield anyone involved in the attack. “The party will not support any individual found guilty.”NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray visited the civic-run Shastri Nagar Hospital in Dombivli, whose staffers were attacked, offered their support and demanded Mhatre’s resignation. State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal said Mhatre was drunk on power.

Ramesh Mhatre (in picture) along with his associates, allegedly assaulted two doctors and other hospital staff.

MUMBAI: Amid mounting outrage over the assault on doctors and medical staff at a civic hospital in Thane district, the Vishnu Nagar police on Wednesday arrested Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre, the main accused in the case, officials said.The arrest came after the incident triggered widespread protests by the medical fraternity, with the Indian Medical Association (IMA) calling for the suspension of routine outpatient (OPD) services across KDMC-run hospitals and several private hospitals in Kalyan-Dombivli.While emergency services continued uninterrupted, doctors demanded the immediate arrest of all those involved and strict enforcement of the Maharashtra Medicare Act.Mhatre had been named in the FIR registered on the complaint of doctor Vaibhav Salunkhe under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Maharashtra Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2010.Deputy commissioner of police Atul Zende confirmed Mhatre’s arrest.Police had earlier arrested three of Mhatre’s alleged associates — Akshay Karande, Ramesh Pawar and Pramod Nikam — in connection with the assault.The incident took place on Monday evening at the KDMC-run Shastri Nagar Hospital in Dombivli after the family of a newborn allegedly became agitated when doctors advised them to shift the infant to another medical facility for specialised treatment.According to police, Mhatre, a corporator of the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, along with his associates, allegedly assaulted two doctors and other hospital staff. A video of the incident, purportedly showing Mhatre hitting doctors, went viral on social media, triggering widespread condemnation from the medical fraternity.A case was subsequently registered against Mhatre and five others.Earlier in the day, before his arrest, Mhatre expressed regret over the altercation but denied allegations that he assaulted a female doctor.“I regret the physical altercation that took place. I state with full confidence that I did not raise my hand against the female doctor. What appears in the CCTV footage might look that way due to the camera angle,” he said.Mhatre claimed he addressed the doctor informally because he considered her “like a daughter” and alleged that while they were speaking, she continued talking on the phone instead of listening to their grievance.“I tapped her hand. We have been guided by Balasaheb’s teachings; we have never raised a hand against women, nor will we ever do so in the future,” he said.He further attributed the incident to “systemic shortcomings” in the hospital and said efforts would be made to address them.Mhatre also said the people who had taken him to the hospital could provide more details about the incident. He claimed the person who had called him to the spot did not answer his subsequent calls and that he reached the hospital after realising the seriousness of the situation.

Shrikant Shinde clarified Shiv Sena’s stand on the incident, stating that the party would not shield anyone involved in the attack.

KALYAN: Amid outrage over the assault on doctors and medical staff at the KDMC-run Shastri Nagar Hospital in Dombivli, Kalyan Loksabha MP Dr Shrikant Shinde on Wednesday strongly condemned the incident, asserting that no one who takes the law into their own hands will be spared.The MP also clarified Shiv Sena’s stand on the incident, stating that the party would not shield anyone involved in the attack.In a statement issued a day after the attack, Shinde, who is also a medical practitioner, said violence against healthcare workers was unacceptable and assured that strict legal action would be taken against all those found guilty.“The assault on doctors and medical staff at Shastri Nagar Hospital is highly condemnable. As a doctor myself, I know that treating patients is not merely a profession but a service to humanity. Doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers work tirelessly under extremely stressful conditions for the welfare of the public,” he said.Referring to the police action, Shinde said a criminal case had already been registered and made it clear that the law would take its course. “No one who takes the law into their own hands will be spared. Strict action will be taken against the guilty as per the law,” he said.The MP also clarified Shiv Sena’s stand on the incident, stating that the party would not shield anyone involved in the attack.“The party’s position is clear. Shiv Sena will not support any individual found involved in the assault. Apart from legal action, strict disciplinary action will also be taken within the party against those responsible,” he said.The statement assumes significance as one of the accused in the case is a local Shiv Sena neta Ramesh Mhatre. Police have already arrested three accused in the case, while efforts are underway to trace the remaining accused including Mhatre.Expressing solidarity with the medical fraternity, Shinde said, “As a public representative and a doctor, I stand firmly with all doctors, nurses and medical staff at KDMC Hospital. We must respect their safety, dignity and their right to provide medical services without fear.”The assault has triggered widespread protests by doctors across Kalyan-Dombivli, with routine healthcare services remaining suspended at civic and several private hospitals, while emergency services continue to function demanding arrest of Mhatre.