Why GMC Doctors Are Demanding Apology From The Goa Health Minister?

In a rare and unified protest, over 600 doctors, consultants, and interns of Goa Medical College (GMC) gathered on campus on Monday, demanding a public apology from Health Minister Vishwajit Rane.

The demand stems from an incident where the minister allegedly abused and threatened Dr. Rudresh Kuttikar at the hospital’s casualty department—a moment that was caught on video and went viral.

Though Rane attempted to defuse the situation by issuing a social media apology, saying he had “extended heartfelt apology to Kuttikar for the harsh words” spoken on Saturday, both Dr. Kuttikar and the Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) rejected the gesture.

GARD, which is leading the protest, insisted that the apology must be delivered in person at the same spot where the incident occurred, and that the video of the apology should be circulated publicly, mirroring the reach of the original video. “GARD said that it ‘cannot and will not stand by while the dignity of our profession is trampled upon’,” the association declared in a strongly worded statement.

The protesting doctors presented a five-point demand list to GMC Dean Dr. S M Bandekar, which included - a public apology from the minister at the casualty ward, a ban on videography in patient care zones, an end to VIP culture in hospitals, immediate and unconditional revocation of Dr. Kuttikar’s suspension, and, assurance from the government that no medical professional will face such “degrading and arbitrary ordeal” again

Responding to the claim of suspension, Dr. Bandekar clarified that “there was no suspension order issued, no note moved, and no inquiry initiated” against Dr. Kuttikar. After meeting department heads, the dean described the protest as an unprecedented moment for the institution.

“Something like this has never happened before on such a scale… and it is escalating,” Dr. Bandekar said. “Somewhere we need to preserve this institution. It is one of the greatest in the country, and we cannot allow it to go for a toss.” He admitted that many outpatient services were delayed due to the protest.

However, GARD President Dr. Aayush Sharma challenged this statement, maintaining that “no emergency or elective services were stopped, and that doctors attended to patients.” He also brought attention to a troubling incident that followed the minister’s confrontation.

“On the same night following the Rane incident, four medical residents of the medicine department were verbally assaulted, threatened, and videographed by a patient’s relatives, who threatened to send the video to higher authorities and get them all fired,” Sharma revealed. “All doctors, especially the junior-most doctors at GMC, face regular threats from various higher authorities via someone.”

He further explained the growing tension inside hospital walls. “Everyone wants their patient to be treated first, and there’s no respect for hospital protocol or the triage system, where doctors decide which patient to attend to first,” Sharma said. Highlighting the rampant influence of privilege, he added, “The VIP culture is prevalent all around India,” and urged that Goa adopt the “no-VIP culture” policies already in place at institutions like AIIMS, New Delhi.

Backing the protest, former GARD president Dr. Pratik Savant reminded everyone that this was about more than just one incident. “It is about the whole medical fraternity being brought up by their teachers to stand up for self-respect and dignity. It’s not even about a doctor, but about the basic self-respect and dignity of a person,” he said.

Savant pointed to the tireless efforts of doctors during the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent Shirgao jatra stampede. “Doctors spend years studying triage — deciding which patient to give preference to in an emergency situation — and that this should be left up to doctors,” he said. He concluded, “GARD’s demands were very simple and don’t require any external interference, adding that it would be a shame on doctors to let this incident go.”

The incident serves as a reminder that politicians are elected to serve the people—not to misuse their authority or belittle others. No one, regardless of their position, is above the law. Among the many who deserve our utmost respect, doctors stand at the forefront, dedicating their lives to saving others. This episode should resonate across the country as a clear message: abuse of power must carry consequences, and dignity, especially that of our medical professionals, must never be compromised.

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