Gujarat : Doctor Brutally Slapped 12 Times at Surat Hospital

Surat | Gujarat — In a shocking incident that has once again highlighted the growing threat to healthcare workers, a doctor at KSB Olympia Dream Children’s Hospital in Pandesara, Surat, was brutally assaulted by a patient’s relative inside his chamber.

The attacker, reportedly under the influence of alcohol, slapped the doctor 12 times in a row after being asked to shift the child to another hospital with ICU facilities. The entire assault was captured on the hospital’s CCTV camera.

According to hospital officials, a family rushed their critically ill child to the hospital late Saturday evening. After examining the child, the doctor explained that while immediate admission was needed, the hospital lacked ICU facilities. He advised transferring the child to another hospital better equipped to handle the emergency.

Initially, the family appeared to agree and left, but about 20 minutes later, one of the four relatives—allegedly drunk—stormed back into the chamber. Without warning, he began hurling abuses and slapped the doctor repeatedly. “Before the doctor could even react, he was slapped 12 times in quick succession. When staff rushed in to protect him, the man turned abusive towards them too,” a hospital administrator told reporters.

The brutal assault has sparked outrage among the medical fraternity in Surat. “This is not just an attack on a doctor, but an attack on the healthcare system. If doctors are not safe inside hospitals, how will they treat patients without fear?” said a senior pediatrician from Surat Civil Hospital.

The hospital has filed a complaint at Pandesara Police Station, and police confirmed that an FIR has been registered. “We have taken the complaint very seriously. The accused will be booked under strict sections of law. Assaulting a doctor on duty is a non-bailable offense, and we will ensure justice,” a police official stated.

This incident has once again raised serious concerns about hospital security and the rising number of attacks on doctors in Gujarat and across India. Doctors’ associations are now demanding stricter enforcement of laws protecting healthcare workers.