india

Updated: Oct 04, 2019 01:58 IST

The Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday clarified that a clean chit has not been given to suspended pediatrician Dr Kafeel Khan in connection with the 2017 BRD Medical College tragedy which claimed the lives of over 60 children.

Addressing a press conference, principal secretary medical education Rajnish Dubey said Dr Kafeel Khan is misleading the people by claiming he has been absolved in the case of children’s death in Gorakhpur Medical College.

Khan gave wrong statement to newspapers and channels, posted a video on social media stating he had been cleared in the departmental inquiry. He even claimed that the inquiry officer stated in the report that the charges against Dr Kafeel were without any substance and irrelevant, Dubey said.

Dubey went on to add that the inquiry officer had actually said that Dr Kafeel indulged in private practice despite posted as senior resident and teacher in the department of pediatrics at BRD Medical College.

“It’s a case of corruption and violation of service rules. Out of the four charges against Dr Kafeel, two charges have been confirmed while the state government is yet to take decision on the remaining two charges,” Dubey said.

After the tragedy at BRD Medical College in August 2017, the state government had suspended three officers, including the then principal Dr Rajiv Kumar Mishra, teacher in the department of anesthesia, Dr Satish Kumar and Dr Kafeel Ahmed Khan.

The state government panel probing the tragedy had asked for all three suspended officers’ replies to the inquiry report but Dr Kafeel started releasing statements instead, leading to incorrect interpretation of the inquiry report getting published in newspapers, alleged Dubey adding that action will be taken against him for making false statement regarding the probe.

Replying to a question Dubey said that there were two more charges against Dr Kafeel—of failing to dispose of his duties as the in-charge of the 100-bed pediatrics department ward and of not alerting the senior officials when the oxygen crisis hit the hospital.

“He failed to manage the medical facilities available in the ward to protect the life of the children. He did not steer the junior staff posted in the ward to manage the crisis as well,” the principal secretary said.

Dubey said that Dr Kafeel had informed the inquiry officer that he was not in-charge of the 100 bed ward and was therefore given relief by the inquiry officer. But the state government received a document from the medical college administration showing Dr Kafeel was the nodal officer of the 100-bed ward in 2016 and 2017 and headed its purchase committee. He had even corresponded with the medical college administration as the nodal officer of the ward. The probe into the negligence committed by him as the nodal officer of the ward is continuing, Dubey added.

Dubey alleged that there were several other complaints against Kafeel including an FIR for trying to forcibly enter the paediatrics ward in Bahraich District Hospital while on suspension and for not reporting to the office of DG Medical Education and Training while on suspension as directed.

“Instead, he made anti- government comments and posted them on the social media. It’s a serious case of violation of the service rules and misconduct. Principal secretary health and family welfare is probing the charges,” he said.

Reacting to the principal secretary’s allegations, Dr Kafeel demanded that the government releases the report on the college Principal Dr Rajeev Mishra and teacher Dr Satish as well. He said the allegations and probe against him was a distraction when the real issue at hand was death of 60 children.

“Now, they have framed three new charges against me to divert attention from real issues. They are doing so many press conferences on Dr Kafeel, I request them to hold one press conference on the deaths of children who died due to sudden shortage of liquid oxygen supply,” Dr Kafeel said, and added, “I want the government to make public the report on ex principal Dr Rajeev Mishra and Dr Sateesh, whose probe findings have been submitted along with that of mine. If it’s made public, truth will surface.”