Warning: This article contains graphic images and video which some readers may find distressing.
A doctor has been suspended after being accused of brutally attacking a patient at a hospital in India.
Footage of the shocking incident involving Dr Raghav Narula has been circulating on social media after all hell broke loose on a ward at the Indira Gandhi Medical College.
The senior resident doctor has landed himself in hot water after allegedly launching an attack on patient Arjun Panwar, 36, as he lay on a hospital bed on Monday (22 December).
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According to Panwar, he had been admitted to hospital for breathing difficulties and underwent a series of tests before a row broke out between him and the medic.
However, Dr Narula has claimed that he was merely acting in 'self defence' after allegedly being 'insulted' and 'physically attacked' by the patient at the hospital in Shimla, northern India.
Sharing his side of the story, Panwar told the Times of India: "After the test, I lay down on an empty bed in the pulmonary ward as the doctors advised me to rest for a while.
"As I was resting, Dr Raghav came and started questioning me about what I was doing there and where my medical test reports were.
"He spoke to me very rudely, and when I told him, 'Is this the way you talk to your family members?', the doctor got enraged and started beating me," the patient claimed.
Video footage allegedly shows Panwar lying on a hospital bed while fielding blows from Dr Narula, whom he has now accused of physical assault.
The clip went viral and prompted locals to gather outside the hospital to demand that action be taken against the doctor. Take a look at it here:
The accused medic has been suspended in the wake of the incident, according to IGMC Medical Superintendent Dr Rahul Rao.
He explained that a probe into the chaos that unfolded on the ward is currently underway, while police are also investigating the matter after Panwar filed a report.
"The senior resident, Dr. Raghav Narula, has been suspended ’til further orders," he said. "He was found guilty in the preliminary probe."
However, Dr Narula has since claimed that the patient was actually the antagonist.
He alleges that the argument stemmed from him using the Hindu word 'tu' – which is an informal way of saying 'you' - while chatting to Panwar.
Dr Narula defiantly said: "As part of our routine procedure, whenever a new patient arrives, we review their previous medical records, X‑rays, and CT scans to decide the course of treatment.
"In line with this process, I went to his bedside to examine his CT scan and speak with him. While I was reviewing the scan, I noticed he was on the phone.
"At that moment, I felt I had seen him before and thought he might have been admitted to our hospital earlier. I simply asked him, 'You [tu] look familiar. Were you admitted here before?'
"This remark upset him. He suddenly became angry, started shouting loudly and objected to my use of the word 'tu'. He said, 'How can you speak to me like that? Who are you to call me ‘tu’?'
"I calmly explained that I had not spoken to him in a wrong manner, nor had I used a harsh tone or said anything offensive."
The doctor went on to claim that Panwar made insulting comments about his family, used abusive language and tried to hit him with a nearby IV stand during the fiery exchange.
"I have been working here as a doctor for the past eight years and have treated at least five to six thousand patients," Dr Narula continued. "Never has anyone spoken to me in this manner.
"And tell me, what kind of doctor would simply walk up to a patient and start insulting them? If I had spoken rudely, used abusive words, shown arrogance, or used a wrong tone, then I would have been at fault.
"But I did none of that. In fact, I was trying to calm him down and explain that the matter could be resolved through conversation. It was not a big issue at all.
"If someone insults my parents, abuses me, pushes me, and physically attacks me...am I supposed to silently accept it just because I am a doctor? That is completely unfair."
Dr Narula claims that the video only shows 'half the story', while also alleging that he has been left with a 'fractured' hand and back pain in the wake of the incident.
He also told NDTV: "I do not regret what I did. The circumstances that were created made me act in self-defence."
LADbible has attempted to reach out to Indira Gandhi Medical College for comment.
Topics: World News, Health, Viral, News
Olivia Burke