'Feel unsafe at workplace': Jaipur doctor alleges threats from male colleague

As per the PTI report, the woman made the accusation on a WhatsApp group of the Jaipur Association of Resident Doctors (JARD) on Sunday evening, a screenshot of which was forwarded to Dr Deepak Maheshwari, the principal of the medical college, following which police were informed.

SHO of the SMS College Police Station Sudheer Upadhyay said, “The matter came to light after the woman sent a message to an internal WhatsApp group of the resident doctors levelling allegations against the male doctor.

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“After getting a screenshot of that message, the principal of the college reported the matter to the police last night,” Upadhyay said, “We contacted her but she has refused to register a case. The female doctor is currently staying with her family and is safe,” the police official said.

According to sources, the female resident doctor has refused to lodge an FIR, saying it was for the college administration to take action against the accused.

In the message sent to the WhatsApp group naming the male resident doctor, the woman said that she did not feel safe at the workplace.

She alleged that the accused “is a horrific womaniser of SMS medical college who sees women as objects… with which he can satisfy his senses.” “He has threatened me that he will do worse to me, he has enough political power to do so. So you people tell me should I wait till he does the worst thing to me? It can be anything from rape to murder or anything which according to his mind is worse,” the woman resident doctor alleged in the WhatsApp message.

Terming the accused “as criminal as rapist”, the woman doctor demanded immediate action against him.

“I don’t want myself or any other girl to be the next Abhaya or Nirbhaya,” she said while urging other female resident doctors who might be feeling unsafe because of their colleagues to come forward and speak up.

Abhaya is the name given by many to the woman postgraduate trainee doctor who was allegedly raped and murdered at a state-run medical college and hospital in Kolkata while on duty.

The incident has sparked widespread protests across the country with doctors demanding a Central law ensuring the safety of medical professionals at their workplace.

Notice issued

Following the allegations raised by the doctor, the Rajasthan State Human Rights Commission (RSHRC) has issued notices to the principal secretary (medical and health), Jaipur DM, police commissioner, and SMS medical college principal after taking suo moto cognizance of the matter. 

The notice has been issued to the parties urging them to ensure that women staff at the medical institution are safe. The commission also asked for the formation of a committee comprising the SMS medical college superintendent, principal, a representative of the Jaipur Association of Resident Doctors, and two women medical officers.

As per a TOI news report, the commission stated that the committee will be tasked with handling the doctors' grievances and is expected to prepare a report on the incident, which will be submitted to the rights panel. the commission also directed additional SP Sandhya Yadav to conduct an independent probe into the matter.

RSHRC chairperson Justice GR Moolchandani told the Daily, "Resident doctors should not feel unsafe while working at hospitals. A woman doctor flagging the issue suggests she did not feel safe while studying and working at SMS Medical College. She even informed the commission of getting poor food and facing harassment."

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