Despite the Maternity Benefits Act being in force in the country, working women often face discrimination and harassment when they are pregnant and need a maternity leave
A doctor working in Delhi government’s Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital has alleged that she was asked to resign after she applied for a maternity leave during the eighth month of her pregnancy. Dr Namrata Singh (name changed) had been working in the hospital as a senior resident on an ad-hoc basis for the last 17 months.
The hospital authorities reportedly told Dr Singh that she would have to quit her job as there was no provision of a maternity leave for ad-hoc doctors.
“I was shocked when the authorities told me that I couldn’t take a leave. I have been coming to work even in the eighth month of my pregnancy. Such behaviour is inhuman. Even though it was Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s pre-election promise, thousands of doctors, including me, were not regularised. This is just unacceptable,” she said.
Pointing out that the decision was demotivating for other women doctors working in government hospitals, Dr Singh said: “We work day and night, and this is what we get in return. It is painful and depressing to be told to quit the job, especially when I have put in so much hard work with honesty, never complaining about the problems that we all face in government hospitals.”
Slamming the hospital’s decision, Dr Singh’s husband said: “What about the hundreds of other women doctors who are suffering at the hands of the Delhi government? What about their health, their families? What about motivating your doctors so that they do not leave government jobs?” When DNA queried hospital’s Medical Superintendent Dr Punita Mahajan regarding the issue, she said: “The rules are different for different ad-hoc categories. I need to know the name, and then only can I investigate the case. The doctor has not approached me directly. All decisions are taken as per rules. If we have taken a decision and the doctor concerned is not satisfied, she needs to give me the representation. So far, I have not received any such representation.”
Despite the Maternity Benefits Act being in force in the country, working women often face discrimination and harassment when they are pregnant and need a maternity leave.
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