Mch Neurosurgery at PGI Chandigarh tenders resignation alleging ragging, mental harassment, FORDA seeks action
Chandigarh: The Federation of Resident Doctors Association of India (FORDA) has written a letter to the Director of the premier Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh and other authorities including the Health Minister, National Medical Commission (NMC) and the Anti-Ragging Committee demanding an unbiased and fair inquiry into an issue of alleged ragging and mental harassment raise by a doctor.
Elaborating on the matter, the doctor told Medical Dialogues, " From 16th of January, I got night shifts with one of my seniors in the facility. He started harassing me unnecessarily. At first, he would insist that I do every little work, he even forced me to seek files that he already had in his possession. However, I kept on working. He started being completely uncooperative, he did not give me discharge summaries or any instruction, and then seniors would rebuke me for the late discharge of the patient. Then another day one patient is to be carried to OP so he instructed me to bring a trolly to carry the patient but I refused that it was not a doctor's duty. So, he started spreading rumours in the department stating that I deny performing my duties and also misbehave with seniors."
The doctor further added that when he confronted the doctor over the issues, he allegedly threatened the doctor stating that he would make survival impossible for the doctor.
"My night duty starts at 8 pm and he threatened me that he would make sure that I can't go home till late at night. He stated that he would make sure that I leave the facility," added the doctor.
Finally when the doctor opposed the intentional mental harassment inflicted on him, the senior allegedly started defaming him in the department. The doctor stated, " The condition turned so hostile, that I got mentally broken as even if I worked in such an ambience I would never secure appreciation. At first, I tried to survive but they started harassing me so much that I approached the HoD and complained against the senior but in vain. Finally, I delivered my resignation. A few days afterwards another junior doctor also resigned for the same reason."
Thereafter, the doctor complained regarding the matter to the concerned authorities and FORDA.
Accordingly, the Association wrote a letter to the PGIMER Director stating, " We are writing this letter to bring a heinous act of ragging and mental torture reported to us by an MCh neurosurgery resident at PGIMER Chandigarh. Crumbling under inhuman working conditions and ongoing mental torture, he has tendered his resignation and his dream to pursue has been shattered."
" We are anguished by such treatment meted out to the first-year resident MCH neurosurgery and we condemn it in the strongest possible words, " the letter added demanding a fair and unbiased inquiry into the matter and exemplary punishment as per the existing laws and policies.
