TENKASI: While the sexual harassment allegations by women are hitting the headlines in Tamil Nadu, the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services instructed all district joint directors (JDs) to form Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) in all government hospitals (GHs), where ICC has not yet been constituted, across Tamil Nadu to enquire harassment complaints, here on Wednesday.
In a circular, Dr M Kannagi, Additional Director (Inspection) instructed JDs to display details of the committee and guidelines of Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act publicly in hospitals. "The government has informed that the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has strongly recommended that the hospitals which have not yet constituted an ICC may be asked to do so with immediate effect. The hospitals with a functional ICC are asked to publicly display the details of the committee along with the date of constitution/re-constitution of the committee as well as POSH guidelines for the benefit of all concerned," Dr Kannagi ordered.
She further recommended carrying out regular gender sensitisation programmes in hospitals to ensure proper conduct at workplace. "In view of this matter, all JDs of health services are requested to follow the instructions recommended by NHRC and send an action taken report regarding formation of ICC in all GHs and implementation of other recommendations of NHRC in GHs to this directorate," she added.