Over 700 AIIMS nurses on Tuesday staged a protest in the institute demanding action against the Deputy Nursing Superintendent and chief Nursing Officer over the recent death of a nurse Molly Siddichan, who allegedly committed suicide at her home by hanging herself.
The nurse was apparently depressed over her transfer to another department and had left a suicide note.
According to the AIIMS nurses’ union, the nurse who worked in the Intensive Care Unit of the Neuro Tower centre for eight years, was transferred to the ward where she was being harassed mentally by the administration.
“Her duty was transferred to the ward in the Neuro Tower centre where she was being mentally harassed by the administration. She was frequently put on night duty and even her child care leave was not sanctioned,” said Anil Kumar, Joint Secretary of the AIIMS nurses union.
The union gave 48 hours to the AIIMS administration to take action against the two officers.
“We demand that the Deputy Nursing superintendent and the chief Nursing officer should be suspended,” said Mr. Kumar.
As per sources, AIIMS Director met some of the members from the Union and is likely to set up a committee to probe the matter.
Ms. Molly lived with her family in Ashram area. According to AIIMS sources, she was brought to the hospital’s emergency between 9.30 a.m. and 10 a.m. on Sunday where she was declared dead on arrival.
She had gone to the church in the morning with her husband and two children.
“However she left early saying she was not feeling well. When her husband along with the two children returned home at around 9.30am, they found her hanging from the ceiling fan,” said a doctor.
Police recovered a suicide note from the spot. “The suicide note states she was very upset with her transfer. Prima facie, it appears that she was depressed over her transfer to another department following which she took such an extreme step,” said a senior police official said.
