After a fact-finding committee, constituted by Mumbai's civic-run KEM Hospital, to probe into the controversial and insensitive remarks by one of its undergraduate MBBS students, Sejal Pawar, during a stand-up comedy show, the hospital has asked her to go on a 15-day forced leave.
According to media reports, this is an interim decision while a larger, five-member committee will take a call on the final decision.
On Friday, hospital dean Dr Harish M. Pathak said the comments, made while comedian Pranit More was working the crowd, were unacceptable.
More and web developer Himanshu Jangra are at the centre of a controversy over remarks made during a comedy show in Gurugram in Haryana, that allegedly glorified non-consensual conduct towards a woman.
Another clip from the same show featured Pawar making derogatory comments regarding medical cadavers and deceased male bodies used for educational purposes. The authorities flagged her remarks as highly disrespectful to the dignity of the deceased.
She later apologised for the crass comments.
Mumbai mayor Ritu Tawde reacted to her remarks, saying vulgarity and hateful comments in the name of entertainment would not be tolerated.
On Friday, Dr Pathak said the hospital had received information about a video being widely circulated on social media in which one of its students (Pawar) was seen making objectionable comments about male corpses.
"This (remarks) is highly unacceptable. We are highly sensitive about respecting the dead, especially when someone donates their body for medical education with a lot of emotions," he added.
Meanwhile, the KEM Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), which represents resident doctors and postgraduate trainees, in a statement said the individual involved in the present controversy is an MBBS undergraduate student and not a member of KEM MARD.
"Nevertheless, as members of the KEM medical fraternity we believe it is important to address the concerns arising from this incident. KEM MARD upholds the highest standards of professionalism, ethical conduct, and respect for body donors, whose selfless contribution is invaluable to medical education. The remarks made by the student were inappropriate, do not reflect the values expected o medical professionals, and have understandably caused hurt and concern," stated the association.
