Mumbai | Deyning their role in the suicide of medical student Payal Tadavi, the accused doctor trio has claimed that intense workload was behind her suicide and not harassment related to her caste.
A 26-year-old Medical student in Mumbai’s Nair Hospital committed suicide in the hostel after allegedly facing harassment by fellow doctors. Payal Salman Tadvi, a post-graduate student in gynecology hung herself in the hostel as she was suffering from depression after three of her senior colleagues allegedly harass her with casteist remark as Payal belong to a reserved category.
Local informing about the matter, the Local police said that the accused trio wrote a letter to the Central Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors stating that the workload was the reason behind Payal’s suicide and demanded fair investigation in the matter.
As reported in Mumbai Mirror, the letter states, “You all are aware about the workload in residency and you all really believe [being] burdened with the workload is ragging? If the heavy workload is given [the] name of ragging, then we will have been ragging someone while performing our basic duties, then all of us should be blamed as all the workload and pressure is always transferred from our sections and department.”
Responding to the allegations the trio wrote, “We have been blamed for caste discrimination. Do you really think such allegations are true? Do we ever consider caste before treating patients? Do we make friends, listen to our seniors-juniors and colleagues on the basis of caste? Are we really allotted work on basis of our caste?” They requested the college to conduct a fair investigation, “Just because we don’t know the reason why suicide was committed it is serious injustice to put blame on us without proper cause and leveling a charge of atrocity.”
Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has suspended the licences of four doctors – three senior medical students and a department head accused of abetting the incident. “The three doctors – Dr. Hema Ahuja, Dr. Bhakti Mehar and Dr. Ankita Khandilwal – and Dr. Yi Ching Ling, professor and head of the unit, gynecology department, are suspended until completion of inquiry. We will take a final call once the investigation into their role in the suicide is completed,” said Sunil Dhamne, deputy municipal commissioner (health), BMC.
Responding to the letter by the trio, Dr. Ramesh Bharmal, dean of the Nair hospital, said their letter was inconsequential and the accused will have to appear before the investigating committee.
A case has been registered against the 3 doctors for abetment to suicide under the Indian Penal Code and other sections under the Ragging Act and the Atrocities Act. Meanwhile, all three accused doctors are been suspended by the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD).
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