MUMBAI: In a disturbing escalation of grief-fueled rage, the son of a deceased patient launched a brutal attack on medical staff at the municipal-run Cooper Hospital in Juhu late Friday night, leaving two doctors and an intern injured. The incident has ignited widespread outrage among healthcare workers, prompting resident doctors and interns to initiate mass casual leave and issue a stark ultimatum to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) administration.
The victim of the violence was Sajeeda Shaikh, a 57-year-old resident of Andheri, who arrived at the hospital’s casualty ward in grave condition around midnight. Afflicted with a prior history of heart attacks, she failed to respond to immediate interventions, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) attempted by duty doctor Dr. Gaurav Anandgaonkar, aged 25, and an accompanying intern. Despite swift efforts— which began even before formal admission procedures— an electrocardiogram (ECG) later confirmed her passing, sealing the tragic outcome.
As the team delivered the devastating news, Sajeeda’s son, Samir Abdul Jabbar Shaikh, erupted in fury, accusing the staff of negligence and delay in care that he believed hastened his mother’s death. According to a detailed account from the Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI), Samir repeatedly struck Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anandgaonkar across the face. Intern Dr. Prashant Bhadke also fell victim to the assault, while resident Dr. Karan endured severe blunt force trauma to his face, eyes, chest, and abdomen as he intervened to shield his colleagues.
Eyewitnesses and closed-circuit television (CCTV) recordings captured the harrowing scene: Samir charging at the doctors amid a barrage of verbal abuse and threats, only subdued after relatives and hospital security personnel intervened. In his formal complaint, Dr. Anandgaonkar recounted the ordeal, noting that treatment commenced promptly upon arrival, yet Samir had issued ominous warnings throughout, vowing severe repercussions should efforts to revive his mother fail.
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Juhu police swiftly registered a case against Samir Shaikh under relevant sections for assault, verbal abuse, and intimidation against the medical personnel. However, after issuing a formal notice, authorities released him without immediate arrest. A station officer explained that the suspect maintained his allegations of medical oversight, claiming the perceived tardiness in response proved fatal.
The assault has reverberated through Mumbai’s medical community, amplifying long-simmering concerns over workplace safety. Resident doctors described the environment as untenable, fraught with constant apprehension that hampers essential care delivery. “Security cannot be treated as a bargaining chip,” one anonymous resident emphasized to the Times of India. “When safeguards crumble, consistent patient services become impossible.”
In retaliation, the BMC Medical Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) has mobilized, granting the administration a deadline until 5 p.m. Monday to bolster protections, including the stationing of armed guards at high-risk sites across facilities. Failure to comply, they warned, would trigger synchronized “mass leave” actions paralyzing operations at all civic hospitals—a move designed to underscore the peril faced by those on the frontlines.
This episode at Cooper Hospital serves as a grim reminder of the vulnerabilities plaguing India’s overburdened public health system, where acts of desperation can swiftly turn to violence against those sworn to heal.
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