India: Dr Rajesh Kuttikar, the casualty medical officer (CMO) of Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), who was last week humiliated by state’s health minister Vishwajit Rane in a public and televised manner, has refused to accept his apology.
Earlier this morning, June 9, Rane tendered an apology in an X post, saying, “During the broadcast with Prudent Media last night, I openly extended my heartfelt apology to Dr. Rudresh Kuttikar for the harsh words spoken by me during my visit to GMC.”
However, news channel In Goa 24X7 has reported that Dr Kuttikar has rejected the minister’s apology as a “studio apology”, which was insufficient. Instead of apologising on the social media platform, Dr Kuttikar, reportedly demanded that Rane visit the same site at the hospital where he humiliated the doctor and apologise to him in front of the people.
“We require a public apology in the casualty [department] itself within 24 hours,” he said, while speaking to the press. He added that if the minister failed to do so, doctors would proceed on strike.
Rane wrote a long post on X as part of his apology. “In the heat of the moment, my emotions overtook my expression, and I deeply regret the manner in which I addressed the situation,” he said.
“It was never my intention to undermine or disrespect the dignity of any medical professional,” he added.
This was after he refused to apologise in a previous post on X.
On June 7, Rane had made a surprise visit to the hospital. He went there for inspection after a patient who needed Vitamin B-12 shot apparently went to the casualty department and was allegedly refused. The casualty ward is usually restricted for emergency services and regular services are offered by other departments.
Rane was accompanied by cameras when he stormed inside the casualty ward and enquired where the CMO, Kuttikar, was. He lashed out at Kuttikar saying he should “learn to control your tongue”. “Put your hands out [of the pocket] when you are standing in front of me and remove your mask while I’m speaking to you,” the minister told the doctor. He mocked him saying that a doctor must learn to behave himself.
As the doctor tried to offer an explanation, Rane shut him off. He ordered the medical superintendent to suspend Kuttikar immediately.
The whole fiasco quickly took shape into a full-blown battle between the doctors and the government, with Goa chief minister Pramod Sawant stepping in on June 8 to say that Kuttikar would not be suspended.
However, the matter did not rest there. On June 8, the Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) issued an ultimatum to the government saying if the health minister failed to apologise in the next 48 hours, they would proceed on a strike.
They also demanded that the “VIP culture” must end, especially in the emergency department where “treatment must be dictated by principles of triage [prioritising patients according to the medical needs] and clinical urgency and not by social or political status/affiliation of the patient”.
Kuttikar became the target of Rane’s barrage of harsh remarks because he refused to administer Vitamin B-12 shot in the emergency services department.
