The patient who claimed that she was sexually assaulted by a hospital attendant at the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, in March, is planning to meet Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram on August 16. She was reportedly threatened by five other staff members to withdraw her complaint against the attendant.
The survivor told The Hindu on Monday that she had sought appointment to meet Health Minister Veena George and the Director of Medical Education (DME) too. Recently, a panel from the Directorate of Medical Education led by Geetha Raveendran, Joint Director of Medical Education, had recorded her statement. This was followed by reports that the DME had summoned the hospital staff who supported the survivor to the State capital as part of the inquiry.
“There is a clear attempt to sabotage the probe into my complaint. While the DME has summoned the hospital staff who supported me, the former principal who issued the order to reinstate those who threatened me has not been called to give his statement,” she added.
The sexual assault incident is reported to have happened on March 18. M.M. Saseendran, the hospital attendant, was suspended from service following the alleged incident. After the survivor filed a complaint against the five other staff members who reportedly threatened her, the medical college police filed a case against them and submitted a charge sheet in the court. They were suspended on March 23. However, the suspension was revoked by E.V. Gopi, the then principal, on May 31, which was his retirement day. This was reportedly based on the report of an internal inquiry committee though the police inquiry against them had not been completed. After the incident created an uproar, the order was cancelled on June 8.
While cancelling the order, it was pointed out that the internal inquiry committee had to seek the approval of the DME before revoking the suspension. It was alleged that the internal inquiry panel members had not spoken to the survivor.
