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Dr Sudhir Medhekar, Dean of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation-run Topiwala National Medical College and Hospital in Mumbai, commonly known as Nair Hospital, was transferred following allegations of sexual harassment against a senior faculty member.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has assured strict action against the accused and said justice will be served to the victims.
Shinde directed Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Bhuvan Gaggarani to facilitate the immediate transfer of the dean. A special inquiry committee will also be established to conduct a thorough investigation, said an official. The Chief Minister has also mandated additional measures to ensure the safety of the staff and students at the hospital.
Shinde in a statement said, “Such incidents in the healthcare sector are extremely serious. We will investigate this case and take strict action against those responsible. It is our duty to create a safe environment for everyone in the hospital.”
The allegations came to light in March when an MBBS student at the Nair Hospital lodged a complaint against a senior faculty member, accusing him of inappropriate conduct during what was purported to be a medical examination.
The hospital’s Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) committee conducted an investigation and deemed the student’s complaint credible. The committee recommended that the accused faculty member be transferred from the hospital until the student completes her studies and criticized the hospital administration’s handling of the situation, labelling it as “insensitive” to the student’s distress.
The POSH committee also reprimanded another faculty member who had testified in favour of the accused, allegedly attempting to shield him. This faculty member was ordered to undergo counselling. Furthermore, the committee recommended that the accused be barred from evaluating the student in future examinations and suggested withholding his salary increments for a year.
Dr Medhekar said that after being informed, the accused was removed from teaching duties and reassigned to administrative tasks. Dr Medhekar has refused to comment further on the matter.
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