Nagpur: Resident doctors of all 13 government-run medical colleges in the state are wearing black bands on their arms and holding candle-light march since Monday as they are protesting against the Devendra Fadnavis government’s non-action on a complaint against one of the former heads of the departments at Government Medical College, Nagpur who has been charged with mental harassment of a PG student.
Over 3,500 medicos under the banner of MARD (Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors) have also threatened to go on strike from coming Monday if the government fails to take a stern action against Dr Arun Humne, former head of the preventive and social medicine department of Government Medical College who had step down from his post in March after being indicted by an inquiry committee of the College as well of by the MUHS. The resident doctors however seek a stricter punishment for Dr Humne than mere removal from the post of department head.
An MD student has level charges of bullying against Dr Humne. As per the complaint (dna has a copy), senior doctor allegedly used to threaten him to spoil career, hurl abuses, forced to do personal work like buying cigarette, chicken, shopping for kids and other menial jobs.
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Saturday 23 Nov. 2024
The resident doctors argue that if a student is found to rag his junior, he is immediately suspended so why not a teacher? They also allege that the government is shielding the teacher. Dr Sagar Mundada, president of MARD (central) and resident doctor at JJ Group of hospitals, alleged, “We want Dr Humne be suspended by the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER).
We have communicated to the officials in this regard several times but they have not taken up the issue as seriously as it should be. We had written to Medical education minister Vinod Tawde and even to the Chief Minister a month ago, but to no avail. It seems they are shielding him.”
Instances of teachers in medical colleges putting tremendous mental and emotional pressure on students are common, say medical students. However, perhaps for the first time someone has come forward to lodge the complaint officially and the accused doctor was indicted by an inquiry committee also. “If Dr Humne is given a strict punishment, it would act as a deterrent to other teachers who habitually bully their students,” says Dr Sagar.
Vinod Tawde is supposedly meeting the MARD representatives on Friday so as to avoid any strike ahead of the Monsoon season.
Dr Humne was unreachable for comments till the time of going to press.
…As published in dnaindia.com
