NMC asks health institutions to form sexual harassment probe panels

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued directions to all health institutions in the country, asking them to form committees to probe sexual harassment allegations levelled against any of their employees, in compliance with the provisions of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Act.

In a letter to the institutions and medical colleges, the commission cited the Supreme Court's directions regarding the implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013.

"Accordingly, all the medical colleges are requested to comply with the directions of the Supreme Court as under. All health institutions/medical colleges are directed to undertake a time-bound exercise to verify as to whether the medical colleges/institutions have constituted ICCS/LCS/ICs, as the case may be, and that the composition of the said committees is strictly in terms of the provisions of the POSH Act," the NMC said.

"The institutions shall ensure that necessary information regarding the constitution and composition of the ICCS/LCS/ICs, details of the e-mail IDs and contact of the designated persons, the procedure prescribed for submitting an online complaint, as also the relevant rules, regulations and internal policies are made readily available on the website of the institution/organisation/authority/functionary/body, which is required to be updated from time to time," it added.