NEW DELHI: Delhi SC/ST Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Monday urged Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan to ensure stern action against alleged harassment of a woman resident doctor at AIIMS on the basis of caste and gender. The woman doctor had attempted suicide on Friday, according to reports quoting her colleague.
"Cases of atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes continue to increase. Nothing has changed under the BJP and Congress governments (at the Centre). There is no difference. Why are such cases not taken seriously?" the minister tweeted.
Tagging a report on the alleged harassment of the doctor, Gautam urged the Prime Minister’s Office and the Union health minister to ensure strict action in the case. The Resident Doctors’ Association of AIIMS had also written to Vardhan alleging inaction on the part of the administration in this regard.
Terming it a serious case of caste and gender-based discrimination, the RDA claimed that the resident doctor had made repeated appeals to the AIIMS administration, but their inaction prompted her to “take the drastic step”.
It added that the woman resident doctor also wrote to the Women’s Grievance Cell, SC/ST Welfare Cell of AIIMS and national commissions for SCs and STs, but no appropriate action was taken.Taking cognisance of the matter, the National Commission for Women has also written to Preeti Sudan, Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and the AIIMS Delhi Director for an immediate inquiry and details of the action-taken report to be sent at the earliest to the Commission.
The NCW, in a statement, said it "requests an inquiry shall and action be taken to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future".
(With agency inputs)