Misconduct at Pune’s BJ Medical College and Sassoon Hospital Raised in Maharashtra Assembly
Mumbai, 12th July 2024: Misconduct at Pune’s BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital was raised in the monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly yesterday. The government was questioned on several issues, including a college ragging case and doctors’ drinking parties. Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif faced a dilemma regarding these matters.
Two female resident doctors pursuing postgraduate studies in the Department of X-Ray and Radiology at BJ Medical College had complained to the hospital authorities about ragging. Kasba Peth MLA Ravindra Dhangekar, Chinchwad MLA Ashwini Jagtap, and other MLAs raised questions about this. Minister Mushrif clarified that these complaints were not ragging. He stated that the inquiry committee appointed for the investigation mentioned that these complaints were due to mutual misunderstandings.
A resident doctor at Sassoon Hospital hosted a liquor party on 31st December 2023. During the party, some doctors, in a drunken state, broke the glass door of a female resident doctor’s room. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar himself had shown pictures of that party at a public program held at the college. Minister Mushrif was also present at that time. Mushrif said that the guilty resident doctor has been suspended from the hostel for six months. He also explained that the doctor has written an undertaking promising that such incidents will not happen in the future.
Malfunctions are occurring continuously in the hospital, and internal politics have increased. No action has been taken despite several complaints to the government. Additionally, the issue was raised that the medical superintendent was changed four times in the last year. In response, the minister remained silent on other issues. Therefore, there is a discussion about the lack of willpower at the government level to address the internal politics of the medical education department.
