‘No clean chit to Dr Kafeel Khan, another probe on’
LUCKNOW: Denying a clean chit to Dr Kafeel Ahmad Khan in connection with the deaths of over 60 children at BRD Medical college in August 2017, the Uttar Pradesh government on Thursday said the suspended lecturer was trying to spread “misinformation” about his exoneration in the public sphere.
It added that another probe was ordered against him. Addressing a press conference, Principal Secretary, Medical Education, Rajneesh Dubey rejected Dr Khan’s claim of being exonerated in the case, saying that while he was not absolved of the two charges related to private practice, no final decision was taken yet on two other.
principal secretary Rajneesh
Dubey addresses a press
conference on the Gorakhpur
child deaths, in Lucknow on
Thursday | PTI
Meanwhile, another departmental enquiry was ordered against him on the charges of indiscipline, corruption, gross negligence in performance of duty. Consequently, the doctor will be under scanner on seven charges.
Dubey said that earlier the departmental proceedings were recommended on four points against Dr Khan after he was found prima facie guilty in the incident. He claimed that charge of private practice while holding the position of senior resident and regular spokesperson in government facility and keeping the government in dark, were proved.
The Principal Secretary said thus the two charges on which Dr. Khan was found guilty pertained to cases of serious corruption and gross violation of rules. It has been mentioned in the report that while he was in government service, he was doing private practice at a hospital at Rustampur in Gorakhpur. He allegedly continued the private practice even after he was occupying the post of spokesperson, department of paediatrics at BRD Medical College .
Meanwhile, the final decision over the other two charges — failing to inform senior officials about the shortage of oxygen cylinders, and dereliction in duties at the paediatrics department — had not been taken yet, Dubey added.
‘Dr Khan forcibly entered Bahraich dist hospital’
During the highly-awaited press conference in Lucknow, the principal secretary also stated that during the suspension period, Dr Kafeel Khan attempted to treat patients by forcibly entering the paediatric department of the Bahraich district hospital on September 22, 2018, causing panic in the hospital.