Ombudsperson seeks report on harassment of female medical staff

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Ombudsperson for the Prevention of Harassment of Women at the Workplace, Fauzia Waqas, has sought a report from the Ministry of National Health and its subordinate institutions, including hospitals, regarding cases of harassment of female doctors and paramedical staff. The ministry has been asked to provide details of incidents in the past three years and measures taken to address them.

A meeting on this subject has been convened for November 5 at her office, where officials from the Ministry of National Health will participate. Asif Suhail, the Legal Director of the Ministry of Health, has sent a letter to all institutions under the ministry, including hospitals, instructing them to submit a report about their respective institutions by November 4.

The report should specify whether any complaints of harassment against female staff have been lodged and, if so, whether inquiries were conducted into these complaints and what recommendations were made. The additional secretary of the Ministry of Health has scheduled a meeting for November 4 at 2:30 pm to review these reports and prepare for the meeting on November 5.

The ministry sources revealed that a female doctor pursuing her postgraduate degree at Polyclinic Hospital in Islamabad had filed a written complaint with the federal health secretary on April 15, 2024, saying that her supervisor was harassing her.