Dr Kafeel Khan Sacked, AIIMS Doctors Say He was Made a ‘Scapegoat’
Social media was full of praise for Dr Khan, over reports that he brought oxygen cylinders for Gorakhpur hospital.
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Resident doctors of the Delhi AIIMS on Monday condemned the removal of Dr Kafeel Khan of Gorakhpur-based BRD Medical College Hospital, alleging that he had been made a “scapegoat” in the tragic incident in which over 60 children have died within a span of 6 days.
Khan, who was the nodal officer at the state-run hospital’s paediatric department, had been hailed as a hero after he reportedly bought oxygen cylinders with his own money during the crisis.
“With great pain we have to say that once again a doctor has been made a scapegoat for the infrastructural lapse and failure of the government,” President of the resident doctors association at AIIMS, Dr Harjit Singh Bhatti, said.
The association has written a letter condemning Khan’s removal and has also accused the Uttar Pradesh government of “gross neglect of public health.”
“If oxygen, gloves, surgical instruments and basic medicines are not available in the hospital, then who is responsible? According to the government, the doctor is responsible. I request politicians not to spoil this relationship between the patient and the doctor to hide their incompetency,” Bhatti said in the letter.
Khan was removed as the Nodal Officer for the Department of Pediatrics of Baba Raghav Das Medical College on 13 August. He has been replaced by Dr. Bhupendra Sharma.
Dr Khan was appreciated by social media, politicians and journalists for his quick thinking as he saved lives by paying for extra oxygen cylinders, from his personal savings.
According to a report in the Hindustan Times, Khan also instructed junior doctors and hospital staff on ways to provide artificial respiration for patients, in absence of oxygen cylinders. The reason behind his removal was cited as “dereliction of duty” and having his own private practice, according to reports.
Drove Around to Get Last-Minute Oxygen Cylinders
On the night of 10 August, when the oxygen supply at the BRD Medical College and Hospital was critically low, it was Khan who decided to take control of the situation by driving to private homes to borrow oxygen cylinders, reports DNA. Khan paid Rs 10,000 to an oxygen supplier out of his own pocket, reports CNN-News18.
Earlier, Principal of the Baba Raghav Das Medical College in Gorakhpur Dr Rajeev Mishra, was suspended following the death of 30 infants within a span of 48 hours since 10 August.
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