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SGPGI doctor forced to apologise
A WORLD famous neurologist of the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) had to face the wrath of a sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court here for not seeing the judge on priority.
Reason: Didn’t see judge on priority
A WORLD famous neurologist of the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) had to face the wrath of a sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court here for not seeing the judge on priority.
The incident that took place at the neurology out patient department (OPD), SGPGIMS, on Monday ended on Tuesday at the judge’s chamber with an apology tendered by the doctor, Sunil Pradhan.
“It was around 12 noon on Monday when the judge came to the OPD and asked to be seen by me. As is the normal procedure, I requested that the case should first go to a resident doctor for preparation of a medical case sheet. But he insisted to be seen by me only. He carried no medical file with him. Also, no doctor had referred him to me. Anyway, I called him in. As I was busy seeing a patient, I could only offer a chair to the lady accompanying the judge. I did not have more chairs to offer to the judge. He, however, left,” said Dr Pradhan talking to Hindustan Times.
At around 3.30 pm on Monday, I received a summon from the registrar of the High Court, Lucknow Bench, asking me to appear before the judge at his chamber at 11 am on Tuesday, Dr Pradhan said.
I along with advocate general of UP (AG) SMA Kazmi and additional advocate general (AAG) Jaideep Mathur reached the judge’s chamber on Tuesday morning. First the AG and AAG went into the chamber and requested the judge to forgive and forget. But the judge insisted that the doctor must present himself in the chamber and asked for a written apology. I tendered an apology on a plain paper and came outside. Then I was asked to add that such a thing would not be repeated. I added that too and signed it, said Dr Pradhan, who broke down while narrating the incident to HT.
The AG and AAG refused to comment on the issue.When contacted for his comment, former advocate general Virendra Bhatia said he already knew about the incident. He said: “There is no law that a judge should be seen by a doctor on priority. If in courtesy any doctor does so, it is his prerogative.” President of the High Court based Oudh Bar Association Dr Ashok Nigam said: “If the doctor was in the right, I think he should not have tendered an apology. He should have been bold. Contempt law should not be misused.” Dr Sunil Pradhan is the recipient of Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award (2002) and UP Vigyan Ratna (2003-04). Besides two major awards for service to the society, he has also received two awards from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). He has also discovered a sign that tells a doctor about muscular dystrophy in a person. This sign is known as ‘Pradhan Sign’ in medical books.
