Mumbai: Misdeeds of Jeevan Jyot Trust exposed once again

MT Agarwal Hospital in Mulund

After civic-run MT Agarwal hospital in Mulund, it is now VN Desai hospital in Santacruz East, where the wrongdoings of M/s Jeevan Jyot Charitable Trust have come to light. The trust was given the contract by the BMC to hire and deploy doctors with MD and MBBS degrees to run the ICUs of BMC-run peripheral hospitals, but instead, they hired non-allopathy doctors, who were not registered with the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) and were handling the ICUs and VN Desai hospital administration had not only pulled them up for their shoddy work, but former doctors attached to the hospital said the trust was also penalised for defaulting the contract.

Five years ago, mid-day, in ‘Outsourcing ICUs in peripheral hospitals is waste of public money, say doctors' (May 30, 2018), was the first to raise concerns about outsourcing such work. Recently, the Metropolitan Magistrate Court, taking cognisance of a private complaint filed by one Goldy Sharma, directed the Mulund police to register an FIR against the trustees of the trust, which included the murder charge. mid-day in ‘Murder case to be registered against 6 trustees of charitable trust' (May 30), had highlighted the same.

Highly placed sources within the civic-run hospital, said, "Between 2021 and 2022, numerous shortcomings of Jeevan Jyot Charitable Trust came to light at VN Desai hospital and they were even pulled up, and superiors, including the chief medical superintendent, were kept in the loop. Accordingly, action was taken and around the end of October 22, the contract with the trust was dissolved and the ICU service was outsourced to another BMC-listed agency M/s Sai Sanjeevani."

Asked to elaborate on the shortcomings, the source revealed, in September 2022, Dr Prashant More, the then-medical superintendent, had issued a notice to the trust, stating that the doctors it provided to work in the MICU and TICU of VN Desai hospital do not fulfil the criteria as per the clause. "Many doctors do not have valid MMC registration and doctors appointed as registrars do not fulfil the criteria of registrar ie MD (medicine), MD (anaesthesia). In future do send us a list of the doctors who fulfil all the criteria," the notice read.

Dubious certificates

In another letter to the trust dated May 2, 2022, Dr More stated, "It is observed that the doctors serving in the MICU/TICU are not the same, which the trust has provided the certificates of. Please make provisions of the certificates of Houseman and Registrar attending the VN Desai Hospital, in MICU/TICU as per the Tender Clause, failing which the matter will be reported to higher authorities."

Doctors not qualified

A failure notice was issued on November 17, 2021, wherein the hospital informed the trust that: "As per tender terms and conditions, you are supposed to submit all academic documents/proof of doctors being serving here at VN Desai hospital as house officers and registrars (intensivists).

But up till now, we have not received those documents proof. Doctors being sent here for service do not seem qualified as required for intensivists. In this case, doctors who are not qualified and yet being sent on duty will be marked as absent and disciplinary action will be taken. Please note if these documents are not submitted immediately we will be not able to release your further service payment (sic)."

Dead patients' kin hassled

In August 2022, a doctor was posted as a house officer and no registrar was on duty from 11 pm till the next morning. A patient died and the death certificate work was delayed as the doctor concerned (house officer provided by the trust) lacked an MMC registration. It greatly inconvenienced the patient's relatives and the hospital's on-duty medical officers.

What they say

Dr More, when contacted, refused to comment, stating that he is retired. However, a former doctor at VN Desai said, "We had informed the chief medical superintendent and had the communications marked to the CMS and they were in the process of taking appropriate measures. Accordingly, the contract of the trust was dissolved and a new agency shortlisted by the corporation was roped in." Another former doctor attached to VN Desai hospital said, "Jeevan Jyot Trust was penalised as per the contract, and appropriate channels of communication were used to keep the heads concerned informed about the happenings"

Dr Harbans Singh Bava, present medical superintendent at the hospital, said, "I took over three months ago and the contract with Jeevan Jyot Charitable Trust was disallowed before I took charge. We have outsourced the MICU and TICU to Sai Sanjeevani and so far, we have not encountered any problem." Asked if there is any method to check the credentials of doctors sent by agencies, Dr Bava said, "We insist on the MMC registration number and Aadhaar copy of each doctor who comes from agencies. Also, we have our own intensive unit head, who keeps a tab on the day-to-day working of these doctors, and even marks their attendance."

Other side

Dr Vidya Thakur, chief medical superintendent of peripheral hospitals, told mid-day, "We gave an extension of time to Jeevan Jyot Charitable Trust amidst the COVID period and also simultaneously carried out the fresh tender and from October 2022, we hired M/s Sai Sanjeevani. We took serious cognisance of the complaints from VN Desai and we were on the verge of taking action against Jeevan Jyot Trust, but as their tenure was ending, we floated a fresh one and hired the new agency."

Meanwhile, in Mulund case

"The police are yet to make arrests in the FIR that the metropolitan magistrate court directed them to register against the trustees, as two accused have moved the sessions court for anticipatory bail and those who have been arrested (three, including a woman HR staff) were bogus doctors, who impersonated and misused the original MCC registration numbers of allopathy doctors, who worked for a short time at MT Agarwal hospital and had quit their service," said Sharma, who has requested police protection, as he fears that the accused named are well connected.

Advocate speaks

Advocate Swapnil Patankar, who represents Sharma, said, "On Wednesday, the anticipatory bail plea matter of the two trustees was heard by the sessions Judge and the matter has now been adjourned to July 7, when we will submit our written statement and arguments will be heard by the court" Patankar added that the court had granted interim protection from arrest to both accused."

Nov 17
Day in 2021 when failure notice was issued