Higher-ups 'normalise' abuse at workplace: Resident doctors in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: Doctors protesting for safe working conditions on Friday said that their college authorities threaten to fail them when they try to seek help in case of harassment. 

According to the protesting doctors, when they approach the hospital authorities regarding harassment, “they say it is normal since they too have had such experiences.”

Resident doctors from several government teaching hospitals gathered at Freedom Park here in continuation of their ongoing protest for a hike in stipend and reduction in fees.

They also raised awareness about the safety of medical professionals in the light of the rape and murder of female doctor in Kolkata last week. 

The doctors raised their concerns regarding the facilities on their campuses, including lack of lighting, security, surveillance, mobile network and substandard accommodation facilities.

They said that there is no monitoring on who enters the campus. 

“Due to inadequate lighting, we use torchlights to move between buildings at night,” said a doctor. The lady doctors said that most security guards on the premises are aged and “they barely get up from their place to help us when we call them.” Many of them come drunk, they added. 

A doctor from the dermatology department at Victoria Hospital, shared with DH her experience with male patients who purposely ask female doctors to perform physical exams on them, even when male doctors are present.

“Most of them get erections while we perform the exam. We are fed up of going through this every day,” she said. 

Grievance committees can only help in escalating the issue to the higher-ups, the doctors said. The case is then on their table forever. No action is taken, they added. 

Noted cardiologist and Bangalore Rural MP Dr C N Manjunath visited the protest site. He said hostels and university campuses should have “proper security cover”. 

“The head of the institution is responsible for immediately filing a complaint in case of assault,” he told DH. He added that there is already a law that recognises any violence against healthcare professionals as a cognisable and non-bailable offence.