SNMMCH Anesthesia Dept head dismissed after technician alleges sexual harassment

A three member committee comprising of Dr Rajnikant Sinha, Head of Department of Eye (Ophthalmology); SK Verma, Head of Department of BioChemistry and Rajlakshmi Tubid, faculty of Gynecology was formed to conduct a probe into the incident.

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The committee had submitted the report to the Hospital Superintendent, Dr AK Barnwal who further forwarded it to the principal Dr Jyoti Ranjan Prasad recommending disciplinary action against the doctor.

According to the probe report of the committee, they found that the technician had an attendance of over 75% attendance in course however she had been deliberately prevented from appearing in the final examination on the pretext that she was absent in her regular classes for more than a year.

However, the classes were suspended at the time due to the Covid pandemic as well. The accused stated that the technician never appeared for the internal examination, but the committee found out that no internal examination was held.

A separate committee has already been formed under Dr Pratibha Rai, Head of Department of Gynaecology for investigating the charges of sexual harassment of the technician by the doctor.

The father of the victim wrote a letter to the Dr AK Baranwal, Superintendent of SNMMCH alleging that the HoD is intentionally preventing her daughter from appearing in the final exams on the pretext of attendance shortage as she refused to go to his private clinic.

The letter added that when the technician reached the private clinic of the doctor, the latter attempted to sexually harass her and she had somehow escaped from there. Her father alleged that his daughter was prevented from appearing in the final examination by the doctor because of the grudge he held against her due to the sexual harassment incident.

The college officials permitted the technician to appear for her examination.

Dr AK Baranwal told Telegraph India, "The doctor had taken undue advantage of his post by trying to prevent the technician from appearing in examination due to personal grudge."

He added, "We will recommend departmental action against him from the State Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education Department."

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