Doctor Who Complained About PPE Committed To Mental Institution

Duhakar Rao, the Indian doctor who disclosed to the media about the lack of PPE at his hospital, has been committed to a facility for the mentally disturbed, reports say. He used to work as an anesthetist at a government-run hospital. His disclosure allegedly forced hospital officials to impose a suspension order. He was reportedly detained while driving on a highway recently.

A Reputed Doctor

The mother of the anesthetist, Kaveri Rao, in an interview with BBC Telugu, said that her son is a reputed doctor. She also revealed that the anesthetist had been a subject of abuse since the day he made public his concerns. “I feel bad when people call me and ask about him. He has been very stressed for weeks,” Kaveri Rao told BBC Telugu.

The police, however, said that Dr. Rao had been acting unpredictably when they came to talk to him. They added that witnesses also called to complain against the doctor. Police authorities claimed that when they arrived, the anesthetist threw a bottle of liquor and spoke rudely to them. As of posting, however, no witnesses came forward to corroborate the account of the police.

A statement from the police revealed that they took Dr. Rao to a hospital, where they were advised by medical personnel that the doctor must be taken to a mental facility. A hospital official told the news outlet that for now, the anesthetist appeared stable but would have to remain under observation for at least two weeks.

Lack Of PPE

Dr. Rao made headlines when he alleged that the government-run hospital where he works require personnel to wear the same PPE assembly for two weeks before asking for a replacement. Local media quoted him asking: “How can we treat patients risking our lives?” After that interview, Dr. Rao was reportedly meted with a suspension order.

Over 600 hospitals have been designated by the Indian government to cater to COVID-19 patients, Associated Press reported. It was also disclosed by media outlets that over one million doctors and approximately 1.7 million nurses underwent government-sponsored training to treat coronavirus patients. It was not until early this month that the Indian government announced it would purchase more PPEs for all health care workers.