Patiala: Govt doctor dismissed over ‘nexus’ with private medicine stores

The officials of National Health Mission (NHM) have dismissed a paediatrician of Mata Kaushalya Hospital in Patiala for an allegedly nexus with private medical stores.

Last week, the doctor was found to be prescribing expensive medicines from outside the hospital. Also, he was found to be prescribing brand names of medicines instead of their salts.

The accused doctor has been identified as Ajay Gupta, a resident of Patiala. He has refused to comment on the issue.

The doctor had prescribed medicines from outside the hospital that cost ₹800. However, the same was available at the Jas Aushadhi store on hospital premises for just ₹65.

The paediatrician was posted at the Mata Kaushalya Hospital after his retirement. He was recruited under the National Health Mission (NHM) through the civil surgeon’s recommendation.

His nexus with private medical stores came to fore last week after Dr Renu Agarwal, medical superintendent of the hospital, wrote to the Patiala civil surgeon for the said doctor’s removal from the hospital. Following this, the civil surgeon had sought strict action against the accused doctor from the NHM authorities.

According to the complaint, a patient had visited the accused and the latter had prescribed medicines him from outside. The patient visited the Jan Aushadhi store and a few other medical stores outside the hospital to buy the medicines.

However, apart from a private medical store, the Jan Aushadhi store staff and other private stores failed to even read the prescription. Even the civil surgeon could not read the prescription.

The patient later found out that the doctor had written brand names of medicines instead of their salts. The patient had visited the doctor again and this time the latter prescribed salts of the same medicines which the patient was able to buy from the Jan Aushadhi store for just ₹65.

Confirming the development, Patiala civil surgeon Dr Harish Malhotra said, “Following the incident, I had written to the managing director (MD) of the National Health Mission (NHM) to take appropriate action against the accused doctor. Now, the NHM authorities have dismissed the doctor from his services.”