On the instruction of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) moved Dr. Sudhir Medhekar, the dean of Nair Hospital, to the suburban medical college of Cooper Hospital. The position of Nair Hospital’s dean will be assumed by Dr. Shailesh Mohite. A Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) committee at Nair Hospital found that hospital officials, especially the dean, had been “insensitive” in their handling of a sexual harassment complaint brought by a second-year MBBS student against a senior medical teacher. The transfers were made public through a BMC notification, and they occurred almost a month ago.
Another medical instructor came under fire from the POSH committee for trying to defend the accused by bearing witness in his favor. This teacher, who was also the warden of the Nair students’ dormitory, was shifted to Sion Hospital by BMC authorities. After more students came forward with similar charges of harassment—ten complaints have been made against the accused doctor so far—he was suspended two weeks ago.
The transfers are meant to guarantee that an impartial investigation is carried out into the issue. Acting BMC Director (Education) Dr. Mohan Joshi acknowledged that the second probe, which is being carried out by the BMC headquarters, is ongoing. Additionally, BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani has been instructed by the chief minister’s office to put in place extra safety precautions for hospital workers and students in addition to promptly transferring the dean.
A special committee will be constituted to conduct a thorough probe of the occurrence. Chief Minister Shinde underlined how serious instances such as these are in the healthcare industry and promised that those responsible would face harsh consequences. He emphasized the significance of establishing a secure atmosphere for all patients within the facility.
A second-year MBBS student filed the first sexual harassment complaint in April. She claimed that the suspended medical teacher had invited her into his office in March, made offensive remarks, and groped her while posing as an examiner. The dean first asked for the investigation to be halted, but after that, the committee did not receive any response from the dean via email, according to the POSH committee. The committee didn’t issue final directions requesting action against the accused doctor, his witness, and the dean until the last week of August.
The chief minister has emphasized the need for a secure atmosphere in healthcare institutions to protect both students and staff from harassment and misconduct. The incident has led to enhanced scrutiny of hospital leadership and management.
SOURCE :
TIMES OF INDIA
