A case of alleged sexual assault, according to which the victim claims they were assaulted while unconscious in a private hospital in Gurugram, has come into focus. The alleged assault was said to have occurred during the time after the victim, a flight attendant, had been admitted following a near-drowning incident in a hotel pool on April 6.
Victim's account of the incident
The victim's statement goes on to describe that hospital staff made inappropriate physical contact with her. At the same time, she was still barely able to stay alive, and she couldn't move, scream, or resist, given her critical condition. Two nurses were also there alongside her during the incident but did nothing to intervene. After being discharged from the hospital on April 13, she told her husband about the incident. Later, they went to the Sadar police station to lodge a formal police complaint against the hospital staff.
Police investigation underway
A case has been registered by the police under the various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) alleging sexual assault and an extensive investigation is underfoot. Statements are being recorded, interrogation is in progress for the hospital staff, and CCTV footage of the hospital premises is also being reviewed.
We are taking this matter very seriously. Statements are being recorded, hospital staff are being questioned, and CCTV footage from the hospital premises is being reviewed.
Police Spokesperson
The hospital has stated that it is cooperating with the police in the investigation and has provided all relevant documents, including CCTV footage.
"At this stage, no allegations have been substantiated, and all relevant documents, including CCTV footage from the hospital for the time period in question, have been handed over to the police," the statement said.
Patient safety in focus
This is not the first of its kind. In another case from October 2020, a 21-year-old tuberculosis patient accused the hospital of having violated her sexually while she was on a ventilator in the ICU of Fortis Hospital in Gurugram. The National Commission for Women (NCW) has since taken note of this disturbing incident and raised wider concerns about patient safety and security for women in hospitals. It has asked the police to submit a pointwise report of the actions taken by them and ordered the hospital administration to ensure that such incidents do not repeat themselves.
Demand for systemic reforms
Critics argue that these incidents highlight the urgent need for systemic reforms to ensure patient safety within hospitals. They call for the implementation of strict protocols, regular audits, and thorough background checks for hospital staff to prevent such unacceptable occurrences. The safety and dignity of the patients, especially those prone to such vulnerabilities, remain the top priority of hospitals.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Muhammad Faisal Arshad/MSM)
