Hospital laboratory staff molests minor patient in Bengal’s Howrah, arrested

Kolkata: A contractual laboratory technician in West Bengal’s Howrah District Hospital was arrested by police for allegedly molesting a minor patient within the hospital premises, said officials here on Sunday.

The incident took place late Saturday night and the accused was quickly arrested.

According to the hospital authorities, the victim was brought to the hospital for a CT scan following some medical complications. She was taken to the hospital laboratory where she was allegedly molested by the accused technician.

After coming out of the laboratory, she revealed her ordeal to her family members who immediately brought the matter to the notice of the hospital authorities. The authorities in turn quickly informed the local police station.

According to police sources, the accused was taken into custody and his interrogation was on till Sunday morning. The hospital authorities have claimed that while the local police are carrying out their own investigation, the internal complaints committee of the hospital too has started its probe into the matter.

Besides probing the incident, the internal committee is also looking into the existing lapses in the security system within the hospital system taking the chance of which the molestation incident took place.

The situation has surfaced at a time when statewide protests are on over the ghastly rape and murder of a woman doctor at state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata within the hospital premises last month.

While the scars of the tragedy are still fresh, the incident at Howrah General Hospital has raised questions over the security arrangements at the state-run hospitals in the state.

In the case of the Howrah District Hospital, the accused was a contractual staff of the same organisation, and in the case of R.G. Kar tragedy the sole arrested accused was a civic volunteer, basically a contractual staff attached to the Kolkata Police.

After the RG Kar incident, several lapses in the internal security and surveillance system within the hospital premises surfaced.