HOD Harassment at SCB Medical College: Senior Residents joins junior Medicos in protest

Cuttack: In support of Junior doctors at SCB Medical College and Hospital, Department of Urology Department, the senior residents are now going to join the ongoing strike, protesting against the alleged harassment by the Head of Urology Department Prof Datteswar Hota.

The doctors have alleged that the Head of the Urology Department had been mentally harassing them and forcing them to work in his private clinic.

Medical Dialogues team had earlier reported all the 450 junior doctors of the teaching hospital had resorted to cease-work agitation from Monday afternoon accusing Prof Datteswar Hota of harassing and committing atrocities on them and demanding his removal.

The striking doctors had alleged that Hota was forcing them to treat and take care of patients in his private clinic located in the city. By misusing his position, power and influence in the corridors of power, Hota had been spreading anarchy in the hospital and if any of the PG students expressed reluctance to follow his diktat, then the concerned student was threatened of getting adverse marks in the practical examinations, the junior doctors alleged adding that he had been doing this for past several years

The striking doctors took out a rally inside the hospital campus and threatened not to budge an inch from their stand until Hota was removed from the hospital.

"We will continue our agitation till our grievances are genuinely addressed", said Junior Doctor Association general secretary Dr Phanindra Swain.

Meanwhile, the hospital authorities claimed that the healthcare facilities have not been affected till date for the ongoing cease-work strike by the junior doctors. Alternative arrangements have been made temporarily to ensure that the patients do not suffer due to the strike by the junior doctors, said Hospital in-charge superintendent Dr P K Nanda.

As per sources, SCB Principal Prof Sidhartha Das had constituted a five-member committee to probe the allegations against the HOD. However, the doctors alleged that despite being promised that the State government will be apprised about the issue after submission of a report by the committee, no action has been taken reports Odisha TV