Noida: Covid patient alleges molestation by doctor at Jaypee Hospital

NOIDA: A 20-year-old woman, who tested positive for Covid on July 21, has accused a doctor of molesting her inside the isolation ward of Jaypee Hospital in Sector 128.
The doctor, who is a consultant for pulmonary medicine at the hospital, had been sharing the isolation ward with the woman ever since he, too, was found to have Covid on July 23. The woman had got admitted at Jaypee Hospital after visiting several hospitals in Noida on July 21. "My sister had been staying alone in the twin-sharing ward. The doctor joined her two days later," her brother said.
The woman alleged that the doctor tried to become friendly with her from the first day itself, telling her that he had contacts in almost all hospitals across NCR.
"He would often flaunt how he knew everyone in the hospital. He even told me he had a daughter, which made me believe he was a family man and could do no harm. However, two days ago, I got really tired after a 40-minute walk and he offered to check if I had developed a clot in my legs. He pressed my legs that day," she said.
As both were slated to be discharged from the hospital in a few days, the doctor allegedly told the woman he needed to check her again for post-Covid symptoms.
As the woman felt uncomfortable, she called up a relative - also a doctor - and asked her if a Covid patient indeed needed to be checked in the manner that the doctor did.
"My relative told me there was no need for him to do any such thing," she said. The woman then informed her brother, who called police. Yogesh Malik, the SHO of Expressway police station, said an FIR had been registered under IPC Section 354.
"He has been with us for six months as a part-time doctor. The woman has complained against him saying that he molested her. Police are investigating the case and we are cooperating with them. As far as the woman's complaint about sharing the ward with a man is concerned, the arrangement is similar in other hospitals too," a spokesperson for Jaypee hospital said.
Additional DCP (Noida) Ranvijay Singh told TOI that they would write to the chief medical officer (CMO) asking for clarity on protocols - why a female and male were made to share a twin-sharing room in an isolation ward.
"So far, we have only heard about Covid patients being made to share a ward and not whether the patient is a male or a female. But, there should be some decision as per the situation," he said.
"The accused was in quarantine after being discharged from the hospital and questioning was going on," he further added.