Doctor Accused of Gorakhpur Deaths Alleges Inadequate Care in Jail

The doctor’s wife alleged that her husband and other doctors were being denied medical care in jail.

Dr Kafeel Khan, an accused in the BRD Medical College case involving the death of 63 children in August 2017 due to disruption in Oxygen supply, was brought to district hospital for medical check-up on Thursday, 19 April, under strict security.

Dr Khan was brought to the hospital two days after his wife alleged that her jailed husband was being denied medical care.

The district hospital's cardiologist Dr KK Shahi tested his blood pressure, carried out other tests, and advised him to undergo complete lipid profile test to ascertain risks of heart ailments.

After the tests, the police tried to take him away without any media interaction, but on the way from cardiology department to the police vehicle, he told reporters present there that he was being framed.

"It is complete administrative failure and I have been framed. When the budget was not released from higher level, where from the payment could have been made (for oxygen cylinders)?" he asked.

Asked if the jail administration was providing medicines to him, he replied in the affirmative.

"Yes, they are giving (medicines)," he said.

But before soon, the police bundled him into the vehicle and he was not able to answer as to why he did not get bail despite Manish Bhandari, the director of oxygen supplier firm Pushpa Sales, got the relief.

Dr Kafeel's tests were to be carried out last week but due to lack of sufficient security forces, it was delayed.

When contacted, district jail superintendent Ramdhani said, "For last eight months, Dr Kafeel is in the district jail and he felt uneasiness and high blood pressure symptoms on April 12, when the officials called the jail's cardiologist for his tests and the doctor advised for ECHO test.

"But, due to lack of adequate security force, it got delayed. More policemen were provided yesterday from the police lines for his security but his tests were postponed because of the doctors' strike at the district hospital. Today Dr Kafeel was taken to the district hospital for the tests," he said.

Dr Kafeel is among the nine accused of the BRD Medical College and Hospital case involving death of 63 children, including infants, in August 2017 within four days due to disruption in supply of oxygen to medical oqing to non-payment of dues to the vendor.

The state-run medical college is the single largest government-aided facility in Gorakhpur which also attends to the patients from nearby areas like Maharajganj, Deoria, Kushinagar, Basti, Siddharthnagar, Sant Kabirnagar, Ballia, certain areas of Bihar like Gopalganj and Siwan, besides border areas in neighboring Nepal.

Dr Khan's wife Dr Shabistan Khan on Tuesday had alleged at a press conference at her home that her husband and other doctors were being denied medical care in jail.

The district prison authorities, however, had rejected the charges.

In her press conference, Dr Shabistan had apprehended that the doctors lodged in the prison might be "killed." She said her husband suffered a heart stroke on 29 March but was not given proper treatment.

"Former BRD Medical College principal, Dr Rajiv Mishra, is suffering from liver disease and diabetes but he is also not getting proper medical attention," she had claimed.

She had also said another accused, Dr Purnima Shukla, who is suffering from a hairline fracture, was also not getting the requisite medical attention.

"I met Dr Rajiv. He has turned pale and lost weight. My husband has also lost weight and they need good treatment," she said.

"Over eight months have passed but no justice has been delivered," she had said.

She said the doctors were being made scapegoats for the tragedy while the “big fish” were responsible for the tragedy as the state government’s medical department had not released the fund to the company supplying oxygen cylinders to the hospital.

The jail's senior superintendent had said Purnima Shukla hurt herself when she slipped while going to the bathroom, and was given medical treatment. "The condition of Dr Rajiv and Dr Purnima is improving," he had said.

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