A three-member panel appointed by the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) has completed its inquiry into the allegations of mental harassment levelled against two faculty members attached to the Department of Psychiatry by the postgraduate doctors. A report is expected to be submitted soon.

According to sources, Varghese P. Punnoos, Principal, Government Medical College, Kottayam, who is also Professor, Department of Psychiatry; P.S. Indu, Principal, Government Medical College, Thrissur; and C. Raveendran, secretary, Institutional Ethics Committee, Government Medical College, Thrissur, are the members of the panel.

They first visited the college earlier this month and spoke directly with the 12 PG doctors who lodged the complaint. Interactions were also held with nurses and nursing assistants, and functionaries of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Kerala Medical Post Graduate Association, and the college union. The panel held sessions with the accused faculty members as well. However, because of the ongoing supplementary exams for the students, the hearing was reportedly discontinued for some days. Thereafter, online sessions were held with some of the teachers, resident doctors, and staff, including V.P. Jithu, Head of the Department of Psychiatry.

In their complaint to the authorities, the PG doctors had alleged that the two faculty members used to consistently harass them in front of patients and their caregivers. The theses submitted by them were reportedly not approved on time. Also, some of the PG doctors claimed that the faculty members threatened to fail them in the exam if they did not toe their line. The PG doctors had said they filed the complaint last month after the mental harassment and public rebuke became unbearable.

Meanwhile, the SFI has sought strengthening of the PG grievance cell mechanism, suspension of the faculty members from service along with their transfer to other institutions, and keeping them away from examination invigilation and thesis evaluation duties.