Probe began on sexual harassment allegations against Nellore GGH Superintendent
TIRUPATI: Taking a serious note about the alleged incidence of sexual harassment by the Nellore Government General Hospital (GGH) Superintendent against a medico, the State government has formed a three-member committee comprising senior doctors to look into the issue and ordered it to submit inquiry report at the earliest.
An audio clip of foul language used by the superintendent while talking to a girl student over the phone came to light on Thursday, when it went viral on social media. In the audio, the superintendent was heard to have spoken indecently with a girl student. Though no complaint was lodged in this regard, the State Women’s Commission took up the case as suo motu and asked the State government for a probe on the incident to bring the culprit to justice.
In the meantime, health minister Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas (Nani) directed the Director of Medical Education Dr M. Raghavendra Rao to conduct an inquiry into the allegations of sexual harassment by the medico and submit a full report by evening. He said that a stringent action would be taken on the superintendent once the committee submits reports to the government.
Meanwhile, two committees including a four-member committee headed by Subba Reddy, Principal of ACSR Medical College, Dr Sambasiva Rao, Additional Director, Directorate of Medical Education (DME) and two professors and an independent committee on behalf of the district comprises ZP CEO P. Suseela, Joint Collector (Asara) T. Bapi Reddy, ICDS Project Director Rosemond and three other members, were formed and they have begun probing on the incident.
“A detailed enquiry will be conducted according to Sexual Harassment at workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 and stringent action will be taken on the superintendent if proved guilty We are expecting a preliminary inquiry report by the district committee in a day”, Joint Collector Dr. MN Harendira Prasad said.
Earlier, the Chairperson of AP Women’s Commission Vasireddy Padma spoke to the Nellore District Collector and asked him to probe the incident. “It was really unfortunate that a Superintendent of a Government Hospital behaved in a way that would tarnish the medical profession”, she said while appealing to the victims to come forward and disclose details to the Women's Commission without any fear. She assured that the details of the victims would be kept confidential.
