EXPLORE!

#MeToo: Doctor points finger at former HoD in Bengaluru

  2039 Views

Sunitha Rao R    25 October 2018

BENGALURU: The #MeToo movement on Wednesday swept up the medical community too, with public health expert Dr Sylvia Karpagam accusing the former head of the department of community medicine at St John’s Medical College and Hospital of sexual harassment in 1999-2001, when she was doing an MD in community medicine.

Dr Karpagam, 43, alleged that Dr Dara S Amar would frequently interrupt her and other students with inappropriate touches and sexually-coloured language. Dr Amar has denied the charge.

“My complaints to the dean of the college then were not of any help,” Dr Karpagam told TOI. “The professor continued with his behaviour. I was told that he was vindictive and advised to be careful of him. No further action was taken.”

She said she had reported the issue to college alumni and had advocated that St John’s set up a committee to deal with sexual harassment that patients and students experienced in the hospital and college.

In October 2017, Dr Karpagam said, she detailed her experience with Dr Amar in a complaint to the college but was informed that he did not work there any more. TOI has a copy of the complaint that she sent to the college.

“Dara S Amar has used sexually explicit language both to me and to others in my presence,” Dr Karpagam said in her complaint. “He told one postgraduate, ‘You are a beautiful face on a wasted body.’ At a viva he asked me, ‘If a woman uses intrauterine device, and the thread is in her vagina, do you think it would interfere with her sexual pleasure?’”

“The man now is a life coach in an autonomous college and I have written a letter to that college too,” she said.

Dr Karpagam said it is her experience that women students in medical colleges are subjected to harassment during internal assessments. “It is time medical students come out in public and name and shame sexual predators,” she said.

When contacted, St John’s Medical College and Hospital dean Dr George D’Souza said he was aware Dr Karpagam’s compliant. “We have an internal committee that looks into such cases,” he said. “I was not the dean at the time when Dr Karpagam was studying here. When she lodged the complaint, the committee looked into her complaint. The professor she named has retired. We cannot comment on the issue.”

Dr Amar refuted Dr Karpagam’s allegations. “She is an attention seeker,” he said. “I have taught thousands of doctors in my career. Only she has complained.”

His wife, Dr Girija, said she was also a professor in the college at the time and no incident took place as Dr Karpagam had alleged.

To comment on this article,
create a free account.

Sign Up to instantly get access to 10000+ Articles & 1000+ Cases

Already registered?

Login Now

Most Popular Articles

News and Updates

eMediNexus provides latest updates on medical news, medical case studies from India. In-depth medical case studies and research designed for doctors and healthcare professionals.