PORVORIM
Three persons were arrested by Porvorim police on Monday night in connection with the assault on a doctor at a Porvorim hospital, even as dozens of doctors from across the State assembled at Porvorim police station earlier in the day and served a 48-hour deadline to police to arrest all accused in the incident.
Police said the three persons arrested -- brothers Rohish and Rohil Salgaonkar (27) and Krishna Naik (32), all from Porvorim -- had allegedly accompanied the main accused, Minesh Narvekar, when the incident is reported to have taken place. Police are on the lookout for Narvekar.
In the afternoon, a large number of doctors led by IMA Goa President Dr Vinayak Buvaji went to the Porvorim police station and demanded immediate arrest of the accused, Minesh Narvekar and his accomplices on charges of assaulting Dr Amol Tilve at a private hospital in Porvorim, following the death of a baby on Friday.
Dr Buvaji and a delegation later met DySP Edwin Colaco and Police Inspector Ninad Deulkar and discussed the issue.
Later addressing media and the doctors assembled outside the police station, Dr Buvaji said the police have understood the seriousness of the crime and have issued a warrant against the accused, Minesh Narvekar and his accomplices.
“We have been assured that the accused will be arrested by Wednesday morning, failing which all doctors will gather again at the police station on Wednesday evening and we will decide our future course of action,” said Dr Buvaji.
Dr Shekhar Salkar said the Goa Medicare Service Personnel and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and damage or loss to property) Act provides full protection to doctors.
“Nobody has the right to assault doctors on duty. This is a pre-planned attack on Dr Tilve and the police should arrest the culprits immediately,” said Dr Salkar.
“The act also provides an opportunity to the aggrieved person to approach the grievance cell, but no one has the right to assault doctors on duty.”
Dr Govind Kamat alleged that when the complaint was being registered at the police station, the main accused was in the police station till 11 pm, but the police allowed him to go after registering the complaint.
“The case was registered under Sections 452, 323 and 427 of IPC and not under Goa Medicare Service Personnel and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and damage or loss to property) Act. Now, the police say the main accused is not traceable,” said Dr Kamat.
Dr Shailesh Kamat said the deceased baby had a rare congenital abnormality and said Dr Tilve was not at fault.
“Despite the assault, Dr Tilve is still attending to the baby's mother in hospital. If the culprits are not arrested, it will send a wrong message to the public.”
“We expected support from the police but they have failed to act so far, doctors have been forced to visit the police station to demand justice,” said Dr Kamat.
President of Association of Private Nursing Homes Dr Milind Colvalkar said the sheer cowardice by the main accused was unwarranted and police should apply stringent sections under the Medical Act to send out a clear message to the public.
IMA TEAM MEETS CM: A delegation from the Indian Medical Association (Goa) met Chief Minister Pramod Sawant in connection with the assault on a doctor at a hospital in Porvorim.
IMA Goa President Dr Vinayak Buvaji, Dr Shekhar Salkar and Dr Shailesh Kamat apprised the chief minister about the incident and stated that safety of doctors is of paramount importance for the healthcare sector.
The IMA said the chief minister has directed the police to take stern action against all the accused.
