A doctor in Noida allegedly sexually harassed a 20-year-old coronavirus patient who was sharing an isolation ward with him at a hospital in the city on Monday, PTI reported. The doctor worked part-time at the same hospital.
Unidentified officials told the news agency that both the woman and the doctor tested positive for the coronavirus last week. The woman was admitted to the hospital on July 21 while the doctor was brought in on July 23, according to The Times of India.
The woman said that the doctor tried to be friendly with her and would offer to help her. The woman alleged that doctor told her that coronavirus led to clots in several body parts and touched her inappropriately on the pretext of examining her, according to the Hindustan Times.
The police have filed a case against the doctor under section 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code. “The suspect is himself a Covid patient and cannot be questioned immediately,” Station House Officer Yogesh Malik told the newspaper.
The hospital authorities, meanwhile, said that they were fully cooperating with the police in the investigation.
Noida Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Ranvijay Singh told The Times of India that the police will investigate why a man and a woman were made to share a room. “So far we have only heard of Covid patients being made to share a ward and not whether the patient is a male or female,” he said. “But there should be some decision as per the situation.
Earlier this month, a 19-year-old patient had allegedly sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl being treated at a coronavirus facility in Delhi. The man and his accomplice were arrested.
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