A shocking incident has come to light from a private hospital in Dombivli, where Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre allegedly created a ruckus along with his supporters after reportedly becoming upset over not receiving a response to his phone call.
The controversy began after a pregnant woman from his ward was allegedly asked to seek treatment at another hospital instead of being admitted. Following this, Mhatre, a corporator from the Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), allegedly assaulted doctors on duty. A video showing him allegedly pushing and threatening a woman doctor has gone viral on social media.
The entire incident was captured on the hospital’s CCTV cameras, triggering widespread outrage within the medical fraternity. Meanwhile, the mother of the pregnant patient has also spoken about the ordeal faced by her family.
The patient’s mother, Sadhana Karande, said her elder daughter was pregnant and was taken to the hospital after completing all required tests, including a sonography.
“We informed the doctors that this was an emergency situation due to the heavy rainfall. However, they refused to treat her and asked us to shift her to Sion Hospital. We pleaded with them, explaining that roads were waterlogged and it could take several hours to reach another hospital. We repeatedly requested them to conduct the delivery there itself as my daughter’s life was at risk,” she said.
According to Karande, despite repeated appeals to the doctors and hospital staff, they allegedly insisted that the patient be shifted elsewhere. Left with no other option, the family contacted the local corporator and informed him about the situation.
“My daughter’s condition was extremely critical. We did not know what to do. We called ‘Dada’ and asked how we could shift her to another hospital in such a condition. The corporator questioned the hospital as to why treatment was being denied despite the patient’s serious condition,” she added.
Reacting to the incident, Shiv Sena leader and Member of Parliament Shrikant Shinde strongly condemned the assault on doctors and medical staff at Shastri Nagar Hospital under the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC).
“As a doctor myself, I know that serving patients is not merely a profession but a service to humanity. Doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers work tirelessly under extremely stressful and challenging conditions to serve the public. Assaulting them is completely unacceptable,” he said.
Shinde confirmed that a criminal case has been registered and asserted that no one who takes the law into their own hands will be spared.
“Strict legal action will be taken against those responsible. The party’s stand is also clear. No individual involved in the assault will receive the party’s support. If anyone is found guilty, strict disciplinary action will also be initiated within the party,” he added.
Addressing a press conference following the controversy, corporator Ramesh Mhatre expressed regret over the incident.
“I regret that the assault took place. However, I want to state firmly that I did not raise my hand against the woman doctor. What appears in the CCTV footage may be due to the camera angle. I only tapped her hand because she was continuously talking on the phone and was not listening to our complaint. She is like my daughter. I do not even know whether she is married,” Mhatre said.
He further stated that he had been taught by Balasaheb Thackeray never to raise a hand against women.
“We have been taught not to assault women, and we never will. The incident occurred because of shortcomings in the hospital’s functioning, and we will try to ensure such issues are resolved. The people who called me said that no one from the hospital was answering their calls. After understanding the seriousness of the situation, I went to the hospital,” he said.
