Mumbai: We will not be protecting anyone, says Sion hospital dean

Dr Rajesh Dhere after being released on bail. Pic/Atul Kamble

Four days after a doctor at Sion hospital allegedly ran over a 60-year-old patient, CCTV footage of the incident has been circulating among the resident doctors. There is still sympathy in the hospital towards Dr Rajesh Dere, head of Sion's forensic department. "We thought it was a minor incident at first. Many were unaware of what had transpired as he had directly taken her for treatment after the accident," said a resident doctor.

On Monday, Dr Dere was back at the hospital. A doctor from the forensics department said, "He was back for a few minutes in the department, and then he headed to the dean's cabin to explain his side of the situation." Dean Mohan Joshi confirmed this but did not divulge the nature of the meeting. Meanwhile, the forensics department doctor has not had the heart to watch the video but continues to describe Dr Dere as "a kind man who has helped police in several cases." The Sion police are investigating whether Dr Dere was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

Prashant Kadam, DCP Zone 4, said, "We carried out the required tests as soon as he was in custody." The incident occurred last Friday at around 7.30 pm, but Dr Dere was taken into custody more than 24 hours after the incident. Kadam expressed doubts about whether tests after 24 hours could determine if Dr Dere had consumed alcohol. The head of forensics at a public hospital said, "After 24 hours, one will find alcohol in the system only if the person had consumed alcohol in amounts more than 15 mg per cent multiplied by 24. That is a comatose condition."

Another colleague of Dr Dere told mid-day that, as far as he knew, "Dr Dere has quit drinking for the last year." According to an official at Sion police handling the case, the investigation to determine if Dr Dere was drunk at the time of the incident will not solely rely on medical tests. It will also rely on statements from those who know Dr Dere. "We have sent the blood samples to Kalina; we just want to know whether or not he's a regular drinker."

Meanwhile, BMC officials have alleged that the hospital tried to cover up the issue as Dr Joshi's initial statements suggested a heart attack. The post-mortem report shows "evidence of bilateral hemothorax," meaning there was blood in the pleural cavities on both sides of the chest indicating trauma or injury, which can result in death within minutes. Asked about the allegations, Dr Joshi said, "We will not be protecting anyone if an offence has been committed."

Inputs by Apoorva Agashe