Pics: Rons Bantwal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Oct 22: After 20-year-old nurse Beena Baby from Bandra’s Asian Heart Institute committed suicide by hanging herself with a dupatta, the hospital has come under criticism from various sections of society for its practice of a bond system, in which a nurse has to pay the hospital Rs.50,000 if he or she quits before completing two years of service.

The incident also sparked agitation against hospital’s bond system.

According to the sources in the hospital, until the completion of two years, all educational certificates submitted during the time of the interview are retained by hospital authorities.

Beena was found hanging in a flat at Vrindavan building in Santacruz, which she shared with eight other nurses. On coming to know of her death, over 200 nurses and other staff of the Asian Heart Institute yesterday came outside the premises to register their opposition to the bond system.

“This bond system should be abolished and our certificates should be returned to us immediately. It is a dictatorship by hospital authorities and staffers are harassed by seniors,” said a nurse.

A former employee of the hospital, who did not wish to be named, said that Beena was unhappy over being harassed by her superiors. “There was a paper missing from the files of a patient and Beena was held responsible for it. Her seniors harassed her to such an extent that she was completely devastated,” she said.

It was the intervention of a priest, Fr. Jiji Thomas, vicar of St. Mary’s Syrian Orthodox Cathedral in Dadar, that resulted in the de-escalation of the tension. Most of the staff are Christians from Kerala and when he got to know of Beena’s suicide and the subsequent agitation by hospital staff, Fr Thomas went across to intercede in the issue. His presence and words of advice quelled the anger of the striking employees.