A viral video showing a doctor identified as David Balangakayi, battering a naked female patient in a hospital has sparked outrage as the health minister and advocacy groups demand justice and revocation of his licence.

The doctor’s licence may be revoked after a video showed him assaulting a naked female patient during a heated argument. The incident occurred in Kinkole General Hospital in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Mr Balangakayi was arrested on Thursday following orders from the DRC’s health minister, Roger Kamba, who said his conduct was unbecoming of a doctor,  meant to heal patients and not “inflict pain,” let alone violate her privacy by allowing her to be recorded in her vulnerable state.

It was unclear the argument that led to the assault but the video showed Mr Balangakayi hitting the woman repeatedly. Her breasts and thighs were exposed yet didn’t stop the doctor from continuing the assault.

 “I instructed that the individual be placed under arrest due to this flagrant offence,” the minister said in a statement and demanded Mr Balangakayi’s “outright removal from the Medical Council” and that he “never practice medicine in the DRC again.”

Angry netizens like @_hikky__vibes on Instagram described the assault as “an act of unimaginable cruelty.” She wrote “For goodness sake!!!! She was naked in so much pain, bleeding, begging for help. This doctor’s licence must be immediately seized.”

Another user, @Debrix_lux, wrote  “Anyone with serious anger issues has no business in the medical field!! This is a profession that requires empathy, discipline and emotional control because people’s lives are at stake.”

“Let him perish in prison,” user @temilade_official wrote and @blerk_24 said. “He’s so wrong for assaulting her like this.”

Also, other users such as @twins_yans_o suggested that “He(Dr Balangakayi) should lose that licence because he isn’t qualified” and @Annie_ojoma recommended that “He should be thrown into the lion’s den” to “meet his kind.”

@09philip90 said he would fight the doctor to death if the victim was his wife.

“If she’s my wife. He will have to fight me. Till one of us drops,” the user said.

The country’s First Lady, Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi, has waded into the matter, directing that the patient and her newborn be transferred to Diamant Hospital for standard medical care. Mrs Tshisekedi promised to foot the patient’s bills.

 Besides, a medical advocacy group, Save the Medical Profession (SCM-ONG), has petitioned the Kinshasa Urban Council of the Medical Association to investigate and subsequently sanction the doctor for assaulting a patient and breaching her right to privacy.