Days after Dr Sejal Pawar’s remarks on a show kicked up a controversy, a member of the All India Medical Students’ Association has slammed the incident, saying it “maligns” the
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Dr Kanishka Kalra, general secretary of AIMSA’s Foreign Medical Students’ Wing, flagged the fallout of Dr Pawar’s remarks, saying people would rethink donating bodies for “medical education.”
In a clip from More’s show that went viral on social media platforms, Dr Pawar was heard making remarks about ‘male corpses’ and comparing the sizes of male cadavers’ genitalia. This sparked backlash, with Mumbai’s King Edward Memorial (KEM) hospital, wherein Dr Pawar is an MBBS student, sending her on 15 days’ forced leave after ordering an inquiry.
Terming Dr Pawar’s remarks as “very wrong”, Dr Kalra said, “This also maligns the mething happens like this in society…”
She further said that someone’s family donates their body after their death for the “betterment of the medical education…” “I don’t think so she’s a doctor at all. Objectifying a body on the basis of size doesn’t seem to be right,” Dr Kalra added. The AIMSA member said that upon hearing Dr Pawar’s remarks, “the humans that are agreeing to donate their body will not do that in future.”
Dr Kalra said that the statements send across the “wrong message to society.” “That body may belong to someone’s aunt, uncle, some brother,” Dr Kalra added.
KEM hospital calls remarks ‘insensitive’, sends Pawar on forced leave
Meanwhile, the institution where Dr Pawar was pursuing her MBBS has ordered an inquiry into the remarks, and sent her to 15 days of forced leave on Saturday.
KEM hospital said that Dr Pawar will be counselled, in her parents’ or guardian’s presence, and an appropriate course of action would be decided upon thereafter. The institution has constituted a five-member committee which will take a final decision on the matter within a week’s time.
In a statement issued on the incident on Friday, the KEM hospital said it had taken “serious note” of the remarks, and that it had formed a probe panel after receiving complaints on the matter. “The committee reviewed the complete video recording and interacted with the concerned student. The preliminary fact-finding report has now been received by the Dean’s office,” the institution stated.
“The preliminary report notes that certain remarks made during the programme were objectionable and insensitive,” the statement said, adding that the remarks were inconsistent with the professional responsibility, dignity and restraint expected from a medical student. KEM hospital said Dr Pawar had submitted a written apology admitting that some her remarks were “inappropriate” and had caused distress.
“The disciplinary decision/order, as deemed appropriate by the competent authority under applicable norms, will be issued and communicated in writing,” the institution added.
Dr Pawar’s statements went viral on social media, along with Himanshu Jangra’s “ ₹370 biryani” remark, both triggering backlash on social media.
