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VCTC official refutes charges

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Dec. 25. The official of the Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centre (VCTC) at the Medical College against whom a complaint committee chaired by the former District Collector, E. Ayyappan, had recommended disciplinary action on charges of harassment of women doctors at the Microbiology unit, has stated that he was being "victimised" for protesting against alleged irregularities in the issuance of HIV test reports.

In a statement here, the senior scientific official, S. Gopakumaran Nair, said he had been falsely accused of sexual harassment at the workplace by the Women's Cell of the Medical College and he had appealed against the report in the High Court.

He said he had been targeted by a group of senior doctors at the Microbiology unit after he had alerted the higher-ups on the alleged violation of medical ethics and manipulation of HIV test reports.

According to the officer, he had also incurred the wrath of the department staff for pressing for implementation of a Government Order on revamping the VCTC and granting it independent referral status under the supervision of an Assistant Professor (Microbiology).

The official stated that on his petitioning the Chief Secretary about the issue, all further action on the report of the District Collector had been stayed.

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