According to the police, on Tuesday, a chest physician at a Surat hospital who had treated COVID-19 patients, was allegedly refuse payment for his services and was assaulted with iron pipes by the hospital authorities.

Police have lodged a complaint against 9 people, which includes the hospital owner, on charges of criminal coercion and voluntarily hurting others.

Dr Deep Modh, who is a resident of Vesu, filed a police complaint, had claimed that he with a few other doctors had treated COVID-19 patients at Ratnadeep Hospital, as a visiting chest physician in June and July. The complainant said that after July, the hospital had stopped admitting coronavirus patients and therefore services of Dr Modh along with the other doctors were discontinued.

Dr Modh stated that he had sought Rs 2.13 lakh as payment for treating coronavirus patients during the two months of service. Dr Ravisinh Raj, who is the owner of the hospital, has paid half of the amount and has asked for few days to clear the remaining amount. He told the police that he had visited the hospital several times for the remaining amount but was always turned away on various excuses by Dr Raj. On Tuesday, he visited the hospital with one of his friends Dhaval Shah to collect the remaining money after receiving a call from the hospital.

The complainant said that he went inside the hospital as Dhaval waited outside the hospital. Dr Raj handed him a cheque of Rs 1 lakh and was told to sign a no-dues-left statement. Dr Modh further said that he started to leave the chamber of Dr Raj, when suddenly was attacked by his brothers Jaysinh, Pankajsinh and Rajnikantsinh with iron pipes. Dr Raj too beat him and took the Rs 1 lakh cheque away. The 4 men took him to the hospital gate and told the security guards that not to let him in again.

Shah was waiting outside the hospital, took Dr Modh home and later, Dr Modh submitted a police complaint against Dr Raj, Rajnikantsinh, Jaysinh, and Pankajsinh, along with three security guards and two bouncers of the hospital.

Khatodara police have filed an offence under the IPC sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 323 (causing hurtvoluntarily), 324 (causing hurt voluntarily by dangerous weapons or any means), 504 (intentional insult with intent to incite breach of the peace), 506(2) (criminal coercion), 385 (putting a person in fear of harm in order to commit extortion) and 114 (abettor present when an crime is committed).

Inspector T V Patel of Khatodara police station said that they have registered an offence against Dr Raj along with his 3 brothers and 5 other people. Police teams are being sent to the hospital and their residence, but they were found missing. Their mobile phones are also switched off. The police spoke to the other doctors who were visiting physicians at Ratnadeep Hospital and found that they too were not paid for the services. It is clear that Dr Raj had taken treatment charges from the patients but has not paid the compensation to the visiting doctors. Further investigation is ongoing in this case.

Source: The Indian Express