VARANASI: Usha Maurya, now 26, was beginning to dread that sharp twinge of pain in her abdominal region that had bothered her for some time. A resident of Bela village in Varanasi’s Cholapur block, Usha approached an ASHA worker from her village when the pain became too frequent. That was May 2020 – the first Covid lockdown.
The ASHA worker took her to a private nursing home run by Dr Praveen Tiwari in Gola. On running a few tests, Usha was diagnosed with stones in her gall bladder. On May 28, 2020, she was operated on for removal of gall bladder at the doctor’s clinic. Discharged a couple of days later, Usha felt relieved. And it seemed like a happy ending.
Fast forward to March 2023, Usha had a bad feeling about a familiar sharp pain in her abdomen. She took a digestive tablet and used a hot water bag to ward off the apprehension. But like the pain, it persisted.
After making various rounds to police stations, she approached a local court, after which a case was lodged against the accused doctor on July 25.
The doctor has been booked under IPC’s sections 336, 337, 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) among others.
Chief medical officer Dr Sandeep Chaudhary told TOI that the matter will be investigated by a panel of doctors after the police ask for an inquiry
