Two doctors at a hospital in Rajasthan, India, have been temporarily relieved of their duties after a video surfaced showing them arguing while standing over a pregnant patient during an operation. The footage, filmed at Umaid Hospital in Jodhpur, has been widely shared online, prompting public outrage.
A senior hospital official confirmed that the woman and her baby are in good health. However, the official noted that the source of the leaked video remains unclear, though it is believed to have originated from within the hospital.
Initial media reports claimed that the patient on the operating table gave birth to a baby who did not survive. Dr Ranjana Desai, superintendent of Umaid Hospital, refuted this, stating that a stillbirth occurred elsewhere in the same room, unrelated to the incident involving the arguing doctors. “These two incidents are not linked,” she told the BBC.
In the video, the two doctors can be heard exchanging insults in Hindi and disputing whether the patient had eaten before surgery. Dr Desai identified them as Dr Ashok Nanival and Dr Mathura Lal Tak. They have been released from duties pending an internal inquiry, during which the hospital is also collecting statements to determine who filmed and leaked the footage.
The Rajasthan High Court has ordered the hospital to submit a report, while a separate state-level investigation into the incident is underway.
