Gorakhpur kids’ death: Kafeel Khan to move court against termination

Dr Kafeel Khan

Dr Kafeel Khan of Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College and Hospital, who was terminated from service on November 11, has said that he will move the High Court against the Uttar Pradesh government's decision. Khan was terminated in connection with deaths of children, allegedly due to oxygen shortage in 2017.

Speaking to reporters, Khan said: "The (Uttar Pradesh) government has claimed there are four allegations against me. They have upheld three of those and exonerated me in the 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." He quoted a document by the Uttar Pradesh Medical Education Department and said that the first allegation against him is that 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." Khan said he was also accused of not having the required registration with the Uttar Pradesh Medical Council. However, he claimed, the document states that any person whose name is with the Indian Medical Council "can practice anywhere. Despite this, they hold me accountable, even when my name is in the Council".

The third allegation against him is of medical negligence, leading to the deaths of children in the hospital in August 2017. "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," he pointed out. The fourth allegation against Khan is that he was in-charge of 100 wards of the hospital, which was found to be true, he said.

"They needed a scapegoat as they wanted to save their own people. If it was any other person that night, (she/he) would have been persecuted," Khan said. Khan was arrested in August 2017 and subsequently suspended and attached to the office of Director (Medical Education). This year, the Allahabad High Court stayed the state government's order suspending Khan for the second time and assailed the government on the ground that no inquiry had been concluded against him even after more than two years. The court also directed the UP government to conclude the probe related to the 2019 suspension within a month.

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