The Kerala State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) has observed that senior doctors at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, did not offer mental support to a postgraduate medical student, who could not handle job-related stress and challenges during the pandemic period.
Commission judicial member K. Baijunath directed senior doctors to protect students facing mental health-related problems. The order was issued after a third year PG student at the college filed a petition with the commission against the head of the department (HoD) of anaesthesiology.
The HoD pointed out in his explanation that the complainant might have been unhappy with the job schedule devised in the wake of the pandemic. He claimed that he could not intervene in exams conducted by the Kerala University of Health Sciences. Also, practical exams are supervised by teachers from other medical colleges. He denied the allegation that students were being deliberately failed in exams. Consent of the medical board was required to exempt anyone from duty during the pandemic period. The complainant did not get the board’s approval for the purpose. Though the student was medically examined after noticing asthma symptoms, it was found that she did not have the condition.
The senior doctor also claimed that the complainant should have practical experience of serving in an intensive care unit, as she was studying anaesthesia. He was not aware that she was pregnant. The commission pointed out that the difficulties facing healthcare workers during the pandemic period might have increased her mental stress. Since no deliberate human rights violation was found in the complaint, it was disposed of.
