Kottarakkara doctor served show-cause notice over alleged mistreatment of patient

Kottarakkara: A doctor at Kottarakkara Taluk Hospital has been served a show-cause notice following a video circulating on social media that allegedly shows her mistreating a patient who had approached the hospital seeking treatment for fever and discomfort.

The doctor, identified as Rekha Krishnan, is seen in the video telling the patient and a bystander that the case was not an emergency. During the interaction, she reportedly questioned the need for the patient to seek treatment at the hospital for such symptoms and made remarks about people being at home by 6 pm.

“We work for 12 hours a day,” the doctor is heard saying in the video.

According to information in the video, the patient had a previous history of a heart condition. When the patient complained of chest pain, the doctor dismissed the complaint, saying that chest pain was normal during fever.

The doctor is also heard comparing the patient's behaviour with her own experiences, saying that she and her family had suffered from similar ailments before she became a doctor but had not behaved like the patient.

The video has triggered mixed reactions on social media. While several users criticised the doctor's behaviour and the manner in which she spoke to the patient, others defended her, arguing that fever cases cannot ordinarily be treated as emergencies and that overcrowding at casualty departments can affect the treatment of critically ill patients.

“Just because you work 12 hours a day doesn't mean you can vent your frustration at a patient. The hospital is the place to raise your complaints,” a social media user commented.

Another user supported the doctor, saying that the seriousness of the situation could be understood if a patient suffering a heart attack had to wait behind a long queue of people seeking treatment for fever.

Following the circulation of the video, Kottarakkara Taluk Hospital Superintendent Dr Nibin Krishna issued a show-cause notice to the doctor, seeking an explanation for her conduct.

“The hospital examined the contents of the video that is now viral on social media. She has been issued a notice asking for an explanation for her behaviour. Any necessary action will be taken after that,” the superintendent said.

Further action will be taken based on the explanation submitted by the doctor.