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PG student leaves, alleges ragging by seniors at BJMC

Bharat.Yagnik@timesgroup.com

Ahmedabad : A PG student in department of orthopaedics at the BJ Medical College left the course after less than a week of joining in March, reporting ragging by the seniors as the reason in an email to the dean and PG course director on March 23.

The authorities have launched a probe into the allegation with retrieval of CCTVs of the days the student was working in the hospital, along with recording statements of his fellow students and senior batch students.

Sources close to the development said that the student had alleged the senior residents of asking for x-ray of the patients within 15 minutes, performing 100 sit-ups and forcing him to sleep in an operation theatre among other forms of mental and physical harassment since joining the course and starting the residency. The mail also named four senior students as perpetrators.

The email mentioned that he’s quitting and might not face the consequences, but he is raising the voice for the sake of the other students who might not come forward.

Dr Neeta Mehta, director of PG courses at BJ Medical College, said that the ragging committee of the college is probing the incident. “The probe is on, and we are in the process of finding the evidence. If the allegations are proved, due action would be initiated against those responsible,” she said. The college authorities said that the student was asked to appear before a committee and give his complaint in writing. He recorded his statement to the committee, but has not given the written complaint more than 10 days after the stipulated time. The student also admitted that he had not taken any calls from the head of the orthopaedic department after the incident.

The student had got the admission from All-India quota in the second round. As he has forfeited his seat, he is likely to get admission in another branch, said officials. The statements of several students have been recorded to ascertain the scope of the ragging cases, they added.

The sources said that it’s not the first instance of ragging allegations – the students had earlier approached authorities officially or unofficially where they were reportedly attacked with hammer and saw used for the medical procedures to threaten, give them very long duty hours that extends to 2-3 days at a stretch, abusing them verbally and giving them corporeal tasks like running or sit-ups or push-ups.

In such cases, the students were suspended for six months or faced other punitive actions, they added.