Goa govt keeps on hold suspension of GMCH doctor following criticism
Panaji, Jun 8 (PTI): Amid backlash from the medical fraternity and opposition parties, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday said that the chief medical officer of the government medical college and hospital, who was accused of misbehaving with patients, will not be suspended.
Earlier on Saturday, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane defended his decision to order suspension of Dr Rudresh Kuttikar, the chief medical officer of Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), citing the latter's "arrogant behaviour" towards a patient.
The Goa branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) condemned the minister's action and urged the authorities to immediately rescind the suspension and reinstate the doctor while ensuring a fair trial.
The opposition parties, including the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and Revolutionary Goans Party, had condemned Rane's behaviour.
Government sources told PTI that the chief minister invited Rane for a meeting on the issue in Panaji on Sunday, and after the meeting, a statement was issued that the doctor would not be suspended pending a fair inquiry.
Taking to X, Chief Minister Sawant said, "I have reviewed the issue at the Goa Medical College and held discussions with the health minister. I want to assure the people of Goa that Dr Rudresh Kuttikar will not be suspended."
He said the state government and its dedicated medical team remain fully committed to ensuring the highest standards of healthcare for every citizen.
"We also appreciate the tireless efforts and invaluable service of our doctors, who continue to save lives," Sawant added.
The health minister on Saturday said he will not apologise for standing up for a patient who was denied care.
Rane said he took the action after receiving a complaint from a senior journalist that the doctor in the casualty ward of the GMCH had mistreated his mother-in-law.
The GMCH at Bambolim is a state-run hospital with more than 1,000 beds. It provides medical services to patients from Goa as well as from nearby areas of Maharashtra and Karnataka.
Dr Rudresh Kurtikar was fired in public view and later ordered to be suspended by Rane after he "lost his cool" during his surprise visit to the hospital on Saturday.
Talking to reporters on Saturday evening, Rane said, "Yes, as the health minister, I did intervene, and I accept that my tone and words could have been more measured. I am not above reflection or criticism. I take full responsibility for how I communicated, and I assure you that such an approach will not be repeated."
"However, what I will not apologise for is standing up for a patient who was denied care," the minister said.
Doctors hold a noble position in society, and most of them at the GMCH serve with great dedication, he noted.
"But when arrogance seeps into duty and compassion is replaced with indifference, it is my responsibility to take action," Rane said.
The minister was reacting to criticism he faced on social media and from the IMA for firing the CMO on duty.
"Over the last few hours, a lot has been said and written about an incident at the Goa Medical College today and the suspension of a doctor on duty. I feel it is important to address this directly, not just as your health minister, but as someone deeply committed to ensuring that no citizen is ever denied basic medical care, especially the elderly who deserve our utmost respect and attention," he said.
Rane said he had received a message from a family member of a senior citizen, who was already in pain and advised to receive daily injections, about how she was refused the same at the medical college's casualty ward on a public holiday.
"What made the matter worse was that the casualty (ward) had minimal patient load at the time, and yet, a simple act of compassion and care was withheld. I found this deeply upsetting," he said.
Rane said that often, the outrage is highlighted on some media platforms and by the public when things go wrong at the GMCH.
But when corrective action is taken, it is equally important that "we support efforts to fix the system, not tear them down," he commented.
The minister said what he did was in defence of a helpless, elderly woman.
"And I will continue to speak up, act and fight for the rights of every patient who walks into our hospital," he asserted.
Is @visrane truly fit to serve as Goa’s Health Minister? His increasingly erratic and unstable behaviour raises serious concerns about his ability to responsibly oversee the state’s health system.
— Sarkari Doctor (@sarkari_doctor) June 7, 2025
The shocking incident at Goa Medical College (GMC) where Vishwajit Rane chose to… pic.twitter.com/g2kvRRkmtC
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'Go back to your own country': Indian-origin taxi driver attacked in Dublin
London, Aug 5 (PTI): An Indian-origin taxi driver based in Ireland for over 23 years has become the latest to be targeted in an unprovoked attack in the capital Dublin, with local police (Gardai) launching an investigation into the violent assault.
Lakhvir Singh, in his 40s, told local media that he picked up two young men in their 20s on Friday night and dropped them at Poppintree, in the Ballymun suburb of Dublin.
Upon arriving at the destination, the men are said to have opened the vehicle door and struck him twice on the head with a bottle. As the suspects fled, they reportedly shouted: "Go back to your own country".
"In 10 years I've never seen anything like this happen," Singh told ‘Dublin Live’.
"I'm really scared now and I'm off the road at the moment. It will be very hard to go back. My children are really scared," he said.
A Dublin police spokesperson said Singh was taken to the city's Beaumont Hospital with injuries determined as not life-threatening.
"Gardaí are investigating an assault reported to have occurred in Poppintree, Ballymun, Dublin 11 at approximately 11:45 pm on Friday, 1st August 2025. A man, aged in his 40s, was brought to Beaumont Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injury. Investigations are ongoing," the spokesperson said.
The incident followed an Indian Embassy advisory, also issued on Friday, expressing safety concerns following recent attacks in and around the capital Dublin and urging Indian citizens to take safety precautions.
"There has been an increase in the instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently,” states the advisory.
“The embassy is in touch with the authorities concerned in Ireland in this regard. At the same time, all Indian citizens in Ireland are advised to take reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially at odd hours," the statement reads, adding emergency embassy contact details as 0899423734 and cons.dublin@mea.gov.in.
It came in the wake of a brutal attack on a 40-year-old Indian man at Parkhill Road in the Tallaght suburb of Dublin on July 19, described as “mindless, racist violence” by locals.
The Gardai had opened an investigation into the case and Indian Ambassador to Ireland Akhilesh Mishra was among those who took to social media to express shock over the attack.
“Regarding the recent incident of physical attack on an Indian national that happened in Tallaght, Dublin, the embassy is in touch with the victim and his family. All the requisite assistance is being offered. The embassy is also in touch with the relevant Irish authorities in this regard,” the embassy said in a social media post days after the incident.
A Stand Against Racism protest was also held by the local community in condemnation of what was described as a "vicious racist attack" and to express solidarity with migrants.
Last week, Dr Santosh Yadav took to LinkedIn to post details of a “brutal, unprovoked racist attack”.
The entrepreneur and AI expert stressed that it was not an isolated incident and called for “concrete measures” from the governments of Ireland and India to ensure Indians feel safe to walk the streets of Dublin.
His post revealed that a group of six teenagers attacked him from behind as he walked to his apartment in Dublin.
“This is not an isolated incident. Racist attacks on Indian men and other minorities are surging across Dublin — on buses, in housing estates, and on public streets. Yet, the government is silent. There is no action being taken against these perpetrators. They run free and are emboldened to attack again,” reads Yadav's post.
Fine Gael party Councillor for Tallaght South, Baby Pereppadan, was among those who expressed concern following last month’s attack.
“People need to understand that many Indian people moving to Ireland are here on work permits, to study and work in the healthcare sector or in IT and so on, providing critical skills,” he said.
Another violent anti-Indian attack in Ireland
— Journalist V (@OnTheNewsBeat) August 5, 2025
Taxi driver Lakhvir Singh was attacked with glass bottles while doing his job pic.twitter.com/mtkwhLWISx
