Four years after crib deaths, UP sacks Kafeel for ‘laxity’ – ET HealthWorld

“He (Dr Kafeel) has been dismissed after a probe found him guilty of laxity leading to the death of children in that hospital. Since the matter is sub judice, the detailed information about his dismissal will be given to the court,” principal secretary of medical education Alok Kumar said.

Responding to the move on social media, Khan said he would challenge the order in the court once he received it. “Sixty-three kids died because the government did not pay Rs 68 lakh to the oxygen-supplying firm. Eight people were suspended in this case, seven of whom have been reinstated. I got a clean chit from inquiries conducted by different officials — from the DM to the principal secretary…Even the HC held that there was not a single piece of evidence against me to establish negligence or corruption. Still, I have been terminated.”

Khan had been suspended over the crib deaths along with seven others on August 22, 2017. He was subsequently jailed for nine months on charges of medical negligence, corruption and dereliction of duty.

While under suspension, Khan was attached to the office of the director general of medical education, but trouble continued to stalk him. On July 31, 2019, the government suspended the paediatrician again for allegedly treating patients forcibly at a hospital in Bahraich district the previous year.
The doctor, who had by then moved the Allahabad HC against his first suspension, challenged this order, too, arguing that since he was already under suspension in the BRD case, there was no point in issuing a similar order. The HC stayed the government’s order to suspend Khan for the second time this September.

An inquiry committee had absolved Khan of the charge of medical negligence leading to the 2017 crib deaths.

Although the main charge was dismissed, the probe report held Khan guilty of private practice till August 2016.

A disciplinary panel partially accepted the findings, but contested the probe report in respect of two charges against Khan. On February 24 last year, the panel asked for further inquiry into the case.

Khan challenged this order, too, in the high court. In its order on July 29 this year, the court said, “The delay in taking further action on the part of the disciplinary authority is not explained. The respondents are also obliged to justify the continuance of the order of suspension which has continued for more than four years.”
On August 6, the state government submitted in court that it was withdrawing the additional inquiry against Khan. Additional advocate general Manish Goyal also said “all endeavour would be made to conclude the disciplinary proceedings against Dr Kafeel Khan within a period of three months”. The medical education department issued the termination order just after the completion of the three-month period.