BJ Medical College Orthopaedics resident alleges harassment by Associate professor, files complaint

Ahmedabad: Accusing an associate professor in the Orthopaedic department, of continuous harassment, a second-year orthopaedic resident doctor at BJ Medical College associated with Ahmedabad Civil Hospital has filed an official complaint recently detailing serious allegations of harassment continuing for over a year, including the forced harassment of junior resident doctors.

After the medico expressed his intention to commit suicide in a letter due to the alleged toxic environment and torture he allegedly endured by his professor since the beginning of his PG studies, his distress became widely known over the weekend when senior students addressed the issue on the social media platform 'X' by sharing the letter written by him leading to a rapid spread of the message and support from other internet users.

Soon after the letter gained attention from the medical college authorities, the administration assured investigation into the matter and an official complaint was filed by the doctor.

In the letter, the doctor expressed his frustration regarding the alleged toxic work culture and torture from the professor that he had endured since he started his postgraduate studies. The student alleged that the harassment began while he was a first-year resident at the medical college hospital. He claimed he was constantly humiliated, blamed for various problems, forced to write self-incriminating letters, and treated as a 'servant rather than a student.'

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"I regret to inform you that I am contemplating suicide due to the ongoing harassment I have faced from my postgraduate teacher, Dr ***, since my first year. Despite numerous humiliating incidents, he has consistently blamed me without offering any assistance. He has coerced me into writing various letters against myself, solely to absolve himself of any responsibility as a senior teacher. His primary concern seems to be extracting work from us as if we were servants, rather than treating us as students.

Further, he alleged that he was forced to engage in inappropriate behaviour with juniors and his colleagues and was humiliated in front of patients. Although he had apologised to them, the ongoing harassment since the beginning of his residency impacted his mental state making him feel 'helpless'.

'As a senior, he has pressured us to engage in inappropriate behaviour with juniors, staff, or colleagues. I have felt compelled to partake in such misconduct due to his threats regarding my thesis completion and future prospects in orthopaedics. Dr *** has repeatedly humiliated me in front of patients and staff for minor infractions, for which I have already apologized to the affected parties. However, he has manipulated my juniors into filing exaggerated complaints against me, ensuring that he can suppress me in the future. This pattern of behaviour has left me mentally unstable since the beginning of my residency." the letter stated.

Distressed, he said "I am committing suicide because I am not able to handle this mental burden anymore from his side. Please make sure that no other student under him has to go through the same as me."

After the letter went viral, it gained the attention of the medical college authorities who approached the doctor and later he filed an official complaint against the professor on Monday. It was mentioned that a committee would be constituted soon and the matter would be investigated.

Speaking to Mirror, BJMC Dean Dr Hansa Goswami said, “I have instructed the PG Director and Head of Department to investigate the matter.”

Orthopaedics HOD Dr Himanshu Panchal said, “We checked up on the student’s well-being and also made sure an official complaint was filed in the matter after the student confirmed the allegations made in the social media post. The college will now constitute an inquiry committee and a thorough investigation will be conducted into these serious ​​​​​allegations.”

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