Molestation of a girl patient at Kalwa hospital, NHRC sends notice to Maharashtra Government

New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports that a 39-year-old sweeper tied the hand of a 14-year-old seizure patient to the bed and molested her inside the ICU of Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) run Kalwa hospital. He was subsequently arrested.

The Commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra calling for a detailed report in the matter including action taken against the guilty and relief and rehabilitation/counselling provided to the victim.

The Commission would also like to know whether such incidents have occurred in the past in any of the government hospitals if yes, what steps have been taken by the authorities to ensure safety and security of the indoor patients at the government-run hospitals. The response is expected within four weeks.

The Commission has observed that the contents of the media reports, if true, amount to gross human rights violation of the victim patient. The victim girl was in the lawful custody of the hospital and it was obligatory on the part of the hospital to provide her proper safety during the indoor treatment. It is necessary for the employer authorities to check the credentials of the workers, who are being debuted in the sensitive areas.