Air hostess alleges ICU assault while on ventilator; hospital responds

Medanta Hospital has said it is fully cooperating with authorities after a 46-year-old air hostess alleged she was sexually assaulted while on a ventilator in the ICU

A 46-year-old air hostess has alleged that she was sexually assaulted by hospital staff while she was on a ventilator in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Medanta Hospital, Gurugram. The incident, which shocked many, is now under active investigation by the Gurugram Police.

 

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Medanta Hospital confirmed that it is fully cooperating with the authorities.  

 

“We have been made aware of a complaint from a patient and have been fully cooperating with the investigations conducted by the relevant authorities,” the hospital said.  

 

“At this stage, no allegations have been substantiated, and all relevant documents, including CCTV footage from the hospital for the time period in question, have been handed over to the police,” it added.

 

 

According to police, the woman was admitted to the hospital on April 5 after falling ill following a swim at the hotel where she was staying. She was placed on a ventilator shortly after her admission. In her complaint, the woman alleged that the assault occurred the next day, on April 6, while she was unconscious and receiving treatment in the ICU.

 

“I was on a ventilator when some hospital staff sexually assaulted me,” she said in her statement. The woman was discharged from the hospital on Sunday. After informing her husband about the incident, the couple approached the police.

 

Following the complaint, an FIR was registered at the Sadar Police Station of Gurugram on Monday against unidentified members of the hospital staff.

 

A spokesperson for the Gurugram Police confirmed that the woman’s statement has been officially recorded before a magistrate. “The police team is examining the footage of the hospital’s CCTV cameras and will soon identify the accused,” the spokesperson said, adding that a thorough investigation is underway and that the accused will be arrested soon.

 

[With agency inputs]