Alka Verma –
Published on: November 24, 2021 at 19:30 IST
On Monday, Pediatrician Dr Kafeel Khan who was sacked by the Uttar Pradesh Government stated that he will challenge this decision of UP government in High Court.
Dr Kafeel Khan, who is paediatrician from Gorakhpur’s BRD Medical College and Hospital, was sacked by the UP government on November 11 after observing that he had a connection with deaths of children due to oxygen shortage in 2017.
‘The UP Government has claimed there are four allegations against me. They have upheld three of those and exonerated me in a case of medical negligence. Even the court has observed that I tried my best to save lives. I will approach the court to overturn the decision,’ stated Dr Khan.
Dr Khan also claimed that the first allegation made against him was of undertaking private practice. ‘I joined the medical college on August 8, 2016. Before that, if I had any private or public practice, it was not anyone’s business. Yet, they say the allegation stands,’ stated Dr Khan.
Dr Khan also claimed that UP Government held him accountable for not registering with the UP Medical Council.However, refereeing to a document by the UP Medical Education Department, Dr Khan stated that any person who has registered with the Indian Medical Council can practice anywhere and he had already registered with Indian Council.
Talking about the third allegation, which was of medical negligence due to which children died, Dr Khan stated that he had no role in it. ‘The report by Alok Kumar, Principal Secretary, Medical Education, said I had no role in supply and tender of oxygen. They acknowledged that I made available 500 jumbo cylinders. I am absolved of corruption, as they claim that my submissions were valid,’ stated Dr Khan.
At last, discussing the fourth allegation which was that he was in-charge of 100 wards of the hospital was true stated Dr Khan. ‘Please do not think I was targeted merely because I am a Muslim. They needed a scapegoat; they wanted to save their own people. If it was any other person that night would have been persecuted,’ stated Dr Khan at the end.
It should be noted here that in August 2017, Khan was suspended because of deaths of children at BRD hospital and on November 11 UP Government announced that he has been sacked.