Telangana PG Medico suicide case: KMC HOD of Anaesthesia transferred

Hyderabad: Following the institutional harassment and suicide of a first-year Postgraduate medical student from Warangal's Kakatiya Medical College (KMC), the Telangana government transferred the Head of the department (HOD) of Anaesthesia on Thursday, March 2. 

He was transferred as a professor of anesthesia at the government medical college in Bhupalpally on administrative grounds with immediate effect. The Health Secretary, SAM Rizvi, issued a government order directing the Director of Medical Education and the principal of the college to take the necessary action. 

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Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported about the death of the PG Medical student who had attempted suicide due to repeated harassment by her senior. She was a first-year student of the postgraduate (MD) in the department of Anaesthesia, who passed away at the Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) on February 26. 

The Warangal police arrested her senior M A Saif, a second-year student in the Department of Anaesthesia on February 24. He was booked under abetment to suicide, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Anti-Ragging Act. 

Demanding action against the HoD, the deceased's family alleged that the HOD did not take timely action after the incident of harassment came to forth, reports the Siasat Daily. Her father stated that if the HoD continues to serve in his post, then real justice would not be ensured. The family members have also demanded action against the college principal. 

Her family has raised murder suspicions and has sought an enquiry from the Telangana High Court, as per a media report in the Indian Express. However, the police claimed that there is no evidence that proves the role of college management and they have held the senior solely responsible for the medico death. The 14-member anti-ragging committee of the college also reiterated the same and agreed with the police findings. 

The HOD's statement was also recorded by the committee.The medico's father had earlier filed an oral complaint regarding the harassment to the HOD, following which the latter had spoken to the medico's senior. She reportedly broke down while complaining about the harassment after which Dr Saif was issued a warning. The committee also recorded the statements of fellow postgraduate students and faculty members of the department. 

The committee found out that Saif had been posting remarks since the day she joined the department in November 2022, which Saif termed as his methods of 'discipling' her. The committee would be sending their report to the University Grants Commission (UGC) and Medical Council of India, New Delhi for necessary action. 

Meanwhile, the National Medical Council (NMC) sought a comprehensive report on the death and have issued notice to the college in this regard. Also, the Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, wrote to the Vice-Chancellor of Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS) demanding a thorough probe into the death of the medico and a detailed report on the existing standard operating procedures to deal with harassment cases in the institution. 

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