The authorities of Patliputra Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) in Dhanbad (Jharkhand) have ordered an investigation after its two women doctors accused two senior physicians of sexually harassing them, Principal Dr Shailendra Kumar said on January 11.

Principal Secretary (Health) Dr Nitin Madan Kulkarni asked the PMCH management to send the probe report to the department, he said.
The two resident doctors in their complaint alleged that the head of the department of skin, Dr SK Mandal, and a medical officer frequently call them in their OPD chambers and harass them.

According to sources in the hospital, they also claimed that they were marked absent on January 8 for not following such a directive.The two residents alleged that they were not given special leave available to women doctors, and charged the senior physicians with using foul language in presence of female colleagues.

Mandal denied the charges and said he is ready to face any investigation. The other doctor was not available for comment. "The PMCH has formed a seven-member committee under Dr Pratibha Ray, head of the department of gynaecology, to probe the allegations and submit a report within a week," the principal said. Kumar said that the report will be sent to the health department principal secretary and he will take the final decision on the issue.