West Bengal: A contractual laboratory technician at Howrah District Hospital in West Bengal has been arrested for allegedly molesting a minor female patient, reportedly aged around 12-13 years, within the hospital premises.
The incident occurred on Saturday evening at Howrah District Headquarters Hospital, where the accused, identified as Aman Raj, allegedly molested the girl, who had been admitted to the hospital last week, according to the police.
According to reports, the victim was brought to the hospital for a CT scan after contracting pneumonia. While in the hospital laboratory, she was allegedly molested by the technician.
A family member of the minor claimed that she emerged from the laboratory in tears, stating that the accused had touched her "inappropriately" and threatened her with dire consequences if she told anyone about the incident, according to a report by news agency PTI.
On Sunday, members of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the CPI(M), staged a protest at the hospital, demanding the resignation of the hospital superintendent
In another similar case, a nurse was reportedly molested by a male patient at a government-run health center in Ilambazar, Birbhum district, West Bengal, on Saturday night.
"A man who came in with a high fever late on Saturday night tried to outrage the modesty of an on-duty nurse at Illambazar Block Hospital. The hospital authorities immediately informed the police, who arrested him and sent him to Bolpur Sub-Divisional Hospital for treatment," said Birbhum Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) Himadri Ari.
“The patient started abusing me as soon as he arrived,” the nurse said, adding, “I ignored and started treating him, but suddenly he touched me inappropriately while I was administering saline.”
These incidents come amid nationwide protests over the recent rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9.
Doctors and health staff of the hospital held a protest rally on Sunday demanding round-the-clock security for medics.
A trainee doctor was found dead in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata on August 9. She had been brutally raped and murdered by a civic volunteer. The incident ignited a wave of protests across West Bengal and other parts of the country.
The case has sparked widespread outrage and criticism of the authorities' handling of the incident. The Central Bureau of Investigation is now probing the case.
Input from various sources
(Rehash/Simran Sethi/MSM)