DAK condemns termination of doctor accused of ‘gross negligence’
Kupwara: Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) Friday expressed dismay over termination of a NHM doctor, Dr Bilal in Kalaroos, Kupwara “without any proper enquiry”.
The doctor was terminated on Thursday for allegedly denying ambulance to a pregnant woman, whose new born, whom she delivered in a moving vehicle last week, died.
DC Kupwara had said that the said doctor had been terminated “for denying ambulance service to a patient leading to loss of precious time in providing medical care to the pregnant lady which tantamount to the gross negligence” on part of the doctor towards his professional duties.
President DAK, Dr Suhail Naik however, said in a statement that the preliminary enquiry was done in one day by a two-member team “who had neither spoken to the affected patient’s family nor to the concerned doctor”.
He said the report was “just based on assumptions and hear-says” and that the enquiry report was made “only to pacify the public”.
“Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Kupwara without holding a proper enquiry into the incident has compelled the DDC Kupwara to terminate the said doctor for reasons and enmity best known to him,” the statement said.
A delegation of DAK Friday met the DDC Kupwara and CMO of Kupwara district over the doctor’s termination.
The DAK statement said that DDC Kupwara “provided all help and has forwarded the case to the higher authorities for revocation of the termination order”.
“The two member committee, which had compiled the enquiry report based on assumptions have given in writing that they had not done proper enquiry and had recommended for proper enquiry by the experts and their preliminary report cannot be taken into account for any action against the said doctor”.
Dr Arshed Trag, Joint Secretary DAK said that it was “illogical and beyond human comprehension that how come a doctor is terminated without thorough probe and without consulting the patient’s family or the victimised doctor”.
Dr Ajaz, District President DAK for Kupwara said that it was the “failure of the administration especially the Chief Medical Office Kupwara who have recommended the termination of the said doctor to DDC Kupwara without proper enquiry”.
“It is highly shameful and cannot be tolerated. Doctors are already working under high risk due to excessive patient load and conflict nature of the region”.
The doctors’ body has asked the Mission Director NHM to look into the matter “urgently so that an innocent doctor is not made scapegoat for administrative failure and he must not lose job for no fault of his”.
“Doctors Association Kashmir expresses full sympathy and shares the grief with the patient and her family and we recommend a proper enquiry into the incident until the said doctor can be attached but not terminated,” the statement said.
“Justice must be done both with the family as well as with the doctor”.
KV News
