Pvt practice by govt doctors: KGMU V-C orders expediting action against pending cases
KGMU's vice-chancellor orders expedited inquiries into doctors' private practices following a recent case, aiming for swift action against rule violations.
King George’s Medical University vice-chancellor Dr Soniya Nityanand has ordered that the inquiry into two pending cases, pertaining to private practise, also be expedited. The order stems from the recent case of a senior resident of the ENT department of KGMU found engaging in a private practice.
Thus far, despite five prior cases in the hospital’s history, no strict action has been taken against doctors found engaged in private practice.
According to the KGMU authorities, the decision to dismiss the doctor in question will likely be taken within the week.
During the term of the previous vice-chancellor, Lt Gen Dr Bipin Puri, a doctor and a professor of KGMU were found to be indulging in private practice. Investigations into the cases have been going on for over a year.
While the professor in question, Dr Shailendra Yadav, is still teaching at the university, the accused doctor, Dr AK Sachan, was suspended only in September, 2024.
Given these pending cases, Dr Nityanand has ordered that the probes into the cases of Dr Sachan and Dr Yadav be expedited by the executive council, and a verdict be announced at the earliest.
“We have constituted a fact-finding committee and taken action within 24 hours of learning about Dr Ramesh Kumar. The previous cases will also be expedited, as having private practices while being employed by the hospital is banned,” said Dr Nityanand.
Accused claims never to have touched the patient
Dr Anupam Mishra, head of the ENT Department, KGMU, who was a member of the fact-finding committee, revealed that the accused doctor claimed to never have touched the patient. “We had called for his statement,” he said. “He has claimed that he never touched or operated on the patient. He had merely gone to the private hospital to meet the patient. According to him, the patient had prior complications as well, and she passed away while anaesthesia was being administered to her.”
The HoD clarified that even seeing a patient outside the hospital premises, and at a private medical facility, is also not permitted by law.
Dr Mishra has said that once the investigation is complete, it is very likely that Dr Ramesh Kumar will be dismissed before his three month contract with the hospital is up. “Fow now, he has been suspended and banned from entering the hospital.”
Leniency against previous rule-breakers
According to Dr KK Singh, head of the KGMU Media Cell and a member of the faculty of general surgery, no such cases have surfaced at the hospital since 2010, where doctors have been accused of indulging in private practice alongside their positions at KGMU. The last doctors that faced penal action on this were in 2010 during the term of Dr S Chooramani Gopal.
“There were three doctors in 2009-10, who were found to be guilty of this,” said Dr Singh. Dr Luv Kakkar from gastric surgery, Dr Swati Agarwal from ophthalmology, and Dr Ravi Deo from neurosurgery. “Once found guilty, they were given the option of resigning from the hospital or facing criminal charges - they chose the former, and have not been employed at government hospitals since.”
Corrective action on part of the hospital is a long process that requires intervention from the executive council thrice during the entire process.
During this process, investigations are held at every stage, including presenting the accused with a show-cause notice for their statement, deliberation and submission of a report to the executive council by a fact-finding committee, and if found guilty, a charge sheet is served to the accused. “This process typically takes several months,” said Dr Singh.