A video showing a Madhya Pradesh doctor walking away during an argument with a patient’s family at a government hospital has triggered a debate over the safety and working conditions of medical professionals.
The incident took place at Civil Hospital Ambah on September 16, when Dr Aarti Dandotiya was on duty. Footage circulating online shows several people around the doctor as a man appears to confront her and asks her to attend to an injured patient. The doctor then gets up and walks away as the exchange becomes heated.
Doctor faced allegations after video surfaced
The video led to allegations on social media that Dr Dandotiya had refused to treat the patient. However, Ambah Block Medical Officer Pramod Sharma gave a different account of the incident.
According to Sharma, three injured people had already been treated by Dr Dandotiya at the hospital two days earlier. He said the confrontation occurred after relatives began filming the doctor on their mobile phones.
The available footage shows the doctor leaving rather than continuing the argument. The circumstances surrounding the treatment and subsequent confrontation have therefore become the focus of the online discussion.
IPS officer speaks up for doctor’s safety
The incident also drew a response from IPS officer Arun Bothra, who publicly supported the doctor.
In a post on X, Bothra said doctors have a responsibility to treat patients but should not be expected to tolerate intimidation or abuse. He argued that stepping away from an escalating confrontation can be a safety measure for medical professionals.
The incident has once again brought attention to the difficult balance between patient rights, medical responsibility and the safety of healthcare workers.
The Ambah episode also highlights how short videos shared online can generate strong reactions before the circumstances surrounding an incident are fully established.