Cuttack: A 19-year-old girl, who was allegedly molested while undergoing treatment in the ICU at the new medicine ward of SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) in Cuttack, died late on Sunday.
The girl, who hailed from the Kamakhyanagar area in Dhenkanal district, had consumed pesticides and was admitted to the hospital in a c
ritical condition. She, however, succumbed after nearly 20 days of treatment.
According to sources, an outsourced male attendant allegedly touched her inappropriately on November 15 by posing as a doctor, taking advantage of a lapse in supervision. While one of the two nurses on duty in the ICU had gone out and the other was engaged in some paperwork.
The matter came to light when the girl narrated her ordeal in front of her mother, following which the attendant, identified as 25-year-old Manas Pati, was arrested on November 16 from Cuttack’s Machhua Bazaar locality. While the hospital authorities declined to comment, the incident raised concern over the safety and security of female patients undergoing treatment here.