NEW DELHI: A hospital staffer has been accused of raping a tuberculosis patient who was in a semi-conscious state and on a ventilator.
The incident allegedly took place at the Fortis Hospital in the Indian city of Gurugram where the woman was being treated at the intensive care unit, according to Indian media reports.
The woman was admitted to the hospital on October 21. She gained consciousness six days later, on October 27 and wrote a note to her father, writing down the name of the alleged rapist, according to Usha Kundu, assistant commissioner of police.
The woman’s family then filed a complaint of rape with police. Kundu revealed that the suspect has been identified, however, he had not been arrested yet.Police said that the woman informed her father that the man who raped her was named Vikas and is a non-medical outsourced staffer at the hospital.
A CCTV footage has been recovered and the hospital staff is being questioned by police over it, said Kundu. “We are verifying all the details before arresting the suspect,” she said.
The girl’s father, in the complaint, said that his daughter was assaulted while she was on a ventilator between October 21-27. He said that she was admitted to the hospital after complaining about respiratory problems. The father said that the sexual assault was “a breach of patient security and safety”.Commissioner of Police KK Rao said that protection had been provided to the woman and that a board of doctors from the civil hospital had conducted a medical investigation on Wednesday.
In a statement, Fortis Hospital said it had taken notice of the incident and would cooperate with the police on the investigation.
“The patient came to the hospital on 21st October 2020 with severe respiratory symptoms and pulmonary tuberculosis,” it said. “She was admitted in ICU, and from the second day of her admission, she is on ventilator support.”
Six days after admission, the patient has alleged that she has been violated within the hospital premises on the day of admission. Post complaint, police have been immediately informed. Hospital is fully cooperating with authorities and furnishing all information/details.”
