The Resident Medical Officer (RMO) of the Kollam district hospital in Kerala was assaulted by a group of people who accompanied an accident victim. Dr. Anil Kumar, the RMO who was attacked suffered broken fingers on his right hand.

The incident happened on Tuesday around 3 pm when five persons brought an accident victim to the casualty. They went to meet the RMO as the casualty doctors had advised immediate scanning. “I was trying to help them sort out their issue as they did not have money for conducting the scanning. But, they instead attacked me,” said Anil Kumar. The accused are students in a private engineering college in Kollam. They had brought in an injured friend and were advised to go for a scanning that cost Rs. 1,400. Dr. Anil suggested the patient’s parents be intimated, to which the accompanying persons objected and then attacked the doctor.

Following the incident, a formal complaint was filed to the East police station and the accused have been since remanded.

The assault can be seen as just a new addition to the rising tide of attacks against doctors; so what is new or strange about this particular incident?

The attack has nothing new about it. But let us take a closer look at the doctor who was subjected to it. Dr. Anil Kumar joined the district hospital five years ago. He is known and hailed among colleagues and other people who know him for his dedication to patients and his profession. He does not take his weekly off and is available for call all round the clock, all week. Even on a holiday like Onam, he can be seen attending to patients.

It is not just his dedication that makes him special. Dr. Anil Kumar is an example of how unfortunate circumstances can be overcome by grit and determination. The son of a manual laborer, he had to face several struggles before realizing his ambition of becoming a doctor. He graduated with Bachelors in Science in Chemistry from the University College, Trivandrum before joining for his MBBS in Trivandrum Medical College.

His own hardships and struggles have instilled in him a compassion for the poor and that reflects in his medical practice as well. Having opted to work in Government service so that he could work for the society, he is known to do everything in his capacity to help patients and their relatives, especially the poor and needy.

It is truly unfortunate that even doctors with such temperament and character are assaulted and blamed for no fault of their own. These attacks are a blow to their spirit of service and are bound to fire back at the same people who plunge into such behavior without a second thought.

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