Bharuch, Gujarat: Hospital Incident

A video showing a sweeper stitching a wound on the head of an accident victim at a government hospital in Bharuch town of Gujarat has gone viral on social media, prompting the authorities to order an inquiry. Shockingly, a similar incident had allegedly taken place at the hospital three months ago.

In the video, shot by the patient’s relative on August 19, the sweeper is seen stitching the wound in the presence of a woman doctor and nurses. The hospital’s Resident Medical Officer, S R Patel, said he has ordered an inquiry and served show cause notices to the doctor, who had allegedly instructed the sweeper, a contractual employee, to stitch the wound, and other staff.

Patel said this was the second such incident involving the doctor and the sweeper in the last three months, and the doctor had been warned not to ask the sweeper to stitch wounds on the previous occasion.

“We have taken this matter seriously and ordered a probe into the incident. I have also issued show-cause notices to the doctor and all on-duty staff. They will have to furnish explanations within five days,” Patel told PTI.

Social Media Reaction

#Gujarat: Video of a sweeper (man in white shirt) assisting in giving stitches to a patient in Bharuch Civil Hospital goes viral on social media. Resident medical officer SR Patel says, 'we are investigating the case. Once it is done we will inform the higher authorities' (19.8.18)

— ANI (@ANI) August 20, 2018