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UP sacks Kafeel Khan over Gorakhpur hospital deaths
UP’s principal secretary (medical education) Alok Kumar said Dr Kafeel Khan was dismissed from service on the basis of the inquiry report on the death of the children at the Gorakhpur hospital four years ago.
The Uttar Pradesh government has terminated the services of Dr Kafeel Khan, the paediatrician at Gorakhpur’s Baba Raghav Das (BRD) medical college who was controversially suspended in connection with a shocking oxygen supply-related tragedy in which 63 children died in August 2017.
Principal secretary (medical education) Alok Kumar said Dr Khan was dismissed from service on the basis of the inquiry report on the death of the children at BRD Medical College four years ago. The state government sent the inquiry report to the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC), and the commission ordered the termination of Dr Khan’s services, he added. The dismissal order was issued on Thursday by the medical education department, and Kumar said that departmental action will soon be initiated against Dr Khan.
Hours later, Dr Khan described the decision as “illegal”. In a tweet on Thursday afternoon, he said that the 63 children died because the government did not make payments to two oxygen suppliers, and not because of any laxity on his part. “63 kids died ‘cos the govt didn’t pay the O2 suppliers. 8 Doctors,employees got suspended -7 reinstated. inspite of getting clean chit on charges of medical negligence & corruption -I got terminated. Parents-Still awaiting Justice. Justice ? Injustice? U decide,” Dr Khan tweeted.
He later posted a video in which he said the “the district magistrate, the principal secretary and the court, in its earlier order, had stated that there was no laxity on my part, nor I have indulged in corruption... Yet, I have been terminated while the main accused in the case are moving scot-free,” he further said. He added that he has “faith in the court and [will] continue to fight for justice”, pointing out that hearings in case are going on in court.
Soon after news of Dr Khan’s dismissal broke, Congress general secretary and the party’s Uttar Pradesh in charge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the move was inked to the BJP’s “hate agenda” against Muslims.
“The dismissal of Dr Kafeel Khan by the UP government is motivated by ill-will. Motivated by hate agenda, the government is doing all this to harass them. The Congress party is with Dr Kafeel in his fight for justice,” she said.
“The rule of law is followed in UP. If the government has taken a decision, there must be reasons for it. Don’t jump to conclusions,” state BJP spokesman Harish Srivastava said.
