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Hospital rape wakes women activists up
THE RAPE of a patient in Balrampur Hospital has brought women organisations and activists to the hospital. Members of Janwadi Mahila Samiti and Sanjhi Duniya on Friday visited the Balrampur Hospital and met the victim. They gave director Dr SS Srivastava many suggestions regarding the security of in-ward female patients.
THE RAPE of a patient in Balrampur Hospital has brought women organisations and activists to the hospital. Members of Janwadi Mahila Samiti and Sanjhi Duniya on Friday visited the Balrampur Hospital and met the victim. They gave director Dr SS Srivastava many suggestions regarding the security of in-ward female patients.
Chairperson of the State Women Commission Ranjana Vajpai also reached the hospital to take stock of security arrangements for female patients there.
“Hospital definitely needs more security. But there has to be a proper system where even male hospital staff members are restricted from moving inside female wards,” said state secretary of Janwadi Mahila Samiti (JMS) Madhu Garg.
For about an hour members of women organisations took statements from the hospital staff and other patients. Some of the patients complained about repeated misbehaviour by the hospital staff.
They also complained against the nurses who often sleep after mid-night and do not attend to patients even after repeated calls. “We came to know that the rape victim had some cash with her for treatment and that too was snatched by Anil, who attempted rape on her,” they said. With one of the staff members caught attempting rape, the hospital authorities have started looking for more such employees. Right now four such staff members have been singled out.
These are habitual drinkers and often quarrel with others and commit offences.
Why us?: When activists of women organizations reached the Balrampur Hospital to enquire about the rape incident, they had to face opposition from the nursing staff. The activists started questioning the nurses and sister in charge of different wards but the female staff was refused to answer their queries. “The act has been done by a male staff. We take utmost care of our patients then why are we being questioned?” a staff nurse commented when she was called by women activists.
