New Delhi:
The Royal Bahrain Hospital has fired an Indian-origin doctor after he allegedly posted anti-Palestine tweets on his social media account. Dr Sunil Rao, in a series of posts on X, expressed his support for Israel whose efforts to crush Hamas group have sparked a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
His posts in support of Israel came at a time when nearly 3,000 people have been killed in Gaza in Israel’s retaliatory strike over a Hamas attack.
Announcing his termination on X, the Royal Bahrain Hospital said, “It has come to our attention that Dr Sunil Rao who is working as a specialist in internal medicine has posted tweets that are offensive to our society. We would like to confirm that his tweets and ideology are personal and do not reflect the opinion and values of the hospital.”
“This is violation of our code of conduct and we have taken necessary legal actions and his services have been terminated with immediate effect,” the hospital added.
— RoyalBahrainHospital (@RBHospital) October 19, 2023
Dr Rao has also issued an apology acknowledging that his remarks were insensitive.
“I would like to apologized about the statement that I posted on this platform. It was insensitive in the context of the current event. As a doctor all lives matter. I respect this country its people and its religion deeply as I have been here for past 10 years,” he said on X.
I would like to apologized about the statement that I posted on this platform.
It was insensitive in the context of the current event. As a doctor all lives matter. I respect this country its people and its religion deeply as I have been here for past 10 years.
كلماتي و افعالي— SUNIL J RAO (@shilpasunil_rao) October 19, 2023
There are fresh concerns that Israel’s war with Hamas will spark a bigger conflict in the energy-producing Middle East, after the US said its military bases in Iraq and Syria are increasingly under attack. An American destroyer also shot down cruise missiles and drones launched by Yemen-based Houthi militants toward Israel.
The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt remains closed, even as the US and Europe push for it to open to allow humanitarian aid into the territory.
