Criminal connections: Indicted JJ docs cry foul

MUMBAI, JAN 3: Seven JJ doctors who have been given show-cause notices by the Director of Medical Education and Research (DMER), have com...

MUMBAI, JAN 3: Seven JJ doctors who have been given show-cause notices by the Director of Medical Education and Research (DMER), have complained that they were not questioned by the inquiry committee which found them guilty of hobnobbing with criminals. The five-member committee headed by KEM Hospital Dean Dr Pradnya Pai submitted its report to the state government a few months back, following which Chief Minister Manohar Joshi gave a assurance in the state assembly that show-cause notices would be issued to the guilty doctors soon.

The committee examined case papers of more than 500 prisoners who visited the hospital between January ’95 and July last year and selected 100 for further scrutiny. Of these, 70 cases were justifiable, but in 35 instances, it was found out, patients were allowed to stay in the hospital much longer than required.

Dr Pai when contacted by Express Newsline agreed that the doctors were not questioned while the report was being prepared. However, she said the committee hadfollowed all the conditions that were laid down by the government at the time of its constitution.

According to Dr K C Mohanty, one of the accused, he came to know about his indictment in the report when some friends pointed out that his name had appeared in newspapers. “The committee should have recorded our side of the story before levelling such serious allegations against us,” remarked Mohanty. He said the prisoners’ visits to hospital are not controlled by doctors. “It’s the jail authorities who decide whom to send and when. Had the committee spoken to us we could have explained the ground realities to them.”

Another accused, Dr V Kasbekar, too came to know about his indictment in the report through newspapers. Kasbekar pointed out that clinical examination of a jail inmate is carried out in the presence of the police personnel accompanying him.

Dr Mohan Jagde, another doctor who has been indicted in the report, pointed out that he was not even aware what parameters were adopted by thefact-finding committee of doctors. But there appears to have been duplication of case papers that were scrutinised by the committee, he said. At least three doctors who spoke to this newspaper confirmed after checking their records that they have not treated bomb blasts accused as mentioned in the report. The reports names at least five prime bomb blasts accused who were frequently referred to the JJ hospital. The committee also found out that a majority of inmates of the Thane Central Prison visited the psychiatric, skin and STD and ENT departments.