Goa CM Overrules Health Minister, Assures Doctor Won’t Be Suspended Amid Row
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday overruled his own Health Minister, Vishwajit Rane, stating that a senior government doctor who was publicly berated and ordered to be suspended will not face any such action. The Chief Minister’s intervention came a day after a video of Rane shouting at the doctor at Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) went viral, triggering a massive backlash from the medical fraternity and opposition parties.
In a move to quell the growing controversy, CM Sawant announced on X (formerly Twitter) that he had reviewed the matter. “I have reviewed the incident that occurred at Goa Medical College with the Dean of GMC and the Health Minister. I have also spoken with Dr. Rudresh Kuttikar and I want to assure the people of Goa that Dr. Kuttikar will not be suspended,” Sawant posted.
The Chief Minister also sought to reassure the state’s medical community. “The State Government and our dedicated medical team remain fully committed to ensuring the highest standards of healthcare for every citizen. We also appreciate the tireless efforts and invaluable service of our doctors, who continue to save lives,” he added.
The controversy erupted on Saturday when Rane, during a surprise visit to the GMCH premises in Bambolim, was filmed losing his temper with Dr. Rudresh Kuttikar, the Chief Medical Officer on duty. The minister was reportedly acting on a phone complaint alleging that a doctor had refused to treat a patient and had misbehaved.
In the viral video, an incensed Rane is seen ordering the doctor to take his hands out of his pockets and remove his mask while speaking. “You learn to control your tongue, you are a doctor,” Rane is heard saying. “I want him to be suspended immediately… I usually don’t behave rudely, but I can’t tolerate this.” The minister told the Dean of GMCH, Dr. Shivanand Bandekar, who was present, to “replace him with another CMO.”
The public humiliation of a senior doctor sparked immediate and widespread condemnation. The Goa Association of Resident Doctors (GARD) had threatened a two-hour pen-down strike on Monday if the suspension order was not revoked. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) also strongly condemned the minister’s behaviour.
The opposition Congress demanded Rane’s immediate sacking from the cabinet, calling him “the most corrupt, arrogant, dangerously erratic, and unstable Health Minister intoxicated by power.” Sharing the video, the party’s national handle highlighted the “shameful pattern of abuse, intimidation, and unchecked arrogance.”
Following the intense backlash, Health Minister Rane had issued a statement on X, stating that his reaction was in response to a complaint about patient care but assuring that such an incident would not be repeated. However, with pressure mounting, the Chief Minister’s direct intervention became necessary to defuse the situation and prevent the threatened strike by doctors.
