3 doctors violated code of ethics during clinical trials at JJ Hospital, says probe

The Parshwa Life Sciences was asked to pay Rs 2 lakh per year for using three rooms of the hospital’s pharmacology department to run the clinical trials in violation of the government-defined commercial renting rate of Rs 150 per square feet a month. Infact, as per the government rules, the former dean didn’t have the authority to do so without the approval of the apex regulating body—Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER).

Dr Akash Khobragade, former medical superintendent of St George’s Hospital, also surfaced in the findings of the committee. “He was the main coordinator of the clinical trials. It was due to his failure that protocols were violated in the trials,” said an officer from J J hospital.

Dr Hemant Gupta, a former honorary professor from the medicine department who conducted the maximum number of trials, is the prime offender, the committe found. The revelation occurred when in June, the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) report mentioned Dr Gupta’s name in the jumbo Covid-19 money laundering scam. Soon, it was found out that the general physician was running a clinical trial without the requisite permission.

“When his name was mentioned in the scam, the hospital administration went to his department where it was found that he was sitting in the pharmaceutical department. It was during our visit that it came to the fore that he was conducting a clinical trial, along with 14 other non-hospital staffers. An inquiry was called that opened a can of worms,” said the officer from the hospital.
Dr Gupta was one of the partners at the Worli-based M/S Lifeline Hospital Management Services (LHMS) that secured the contract from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to supply manpower for the jumbo Covid centres at Dahisar and Worli. After the ED’s allegation against him, he submitted fake documents and siphoned off Rs 38 crore in the scam. The state medical education department terminated him last week.

“This outlines the need for more stringent rules in conducting clinical trials,” highlighted a senior officer from DMER.

The committee also found out that during the trials, the primary investigators didn’t even maintain the documentation of the findings. As per rules, the principal investigators are supposed to provide 10 per cent of their payment received from the clinical trials to the institute. However, internal inquiry revealed that the doctors didn’t follow the rules. Later, when the investigation started, the doctors involved in the clinical trials deposited a total of Rs 90 lakhs.

The report of the committee will be submitted to DMER to decide the future course of action.