Gujarat Health Minister transfers psychiatry professor amid harassment claims

Gujarat Health Minister Praful Pansheriya has ordered the immediate transfer of Dr. Chirag Barot, an Associate Professor in the Psychiatry Department at Government Medical College in Vadodara, to Government Medical College in Bhavnagar. The decision follows written complaints from 18 resident doctors alleging physical and mental harassment, ragging, and inappropriate conduct.

During a surprise visit to SSG Hospital and Government Medical College in Vadodara, the minister interacted with medical students who reported various forms of misconduct. The allegations include the sending of inappropriate messages, demands made outside of working hours, requests for hostel room numbers, obscene comments, and threats regarding the failure of theses and examinations.

Pansheriya stated that the state government maintains a ‘zero tolerance’ policy toward ragging and harassment, emphasizing that the safety, dignity, and mental well-being of students and doctors will not be compromised.