UP Govt Orders Fresh Probe Against Dr Kafeel Khan, Absolved of Charges in Gorakhpur Hospital Case in Recent Inquiry Report
In the aftermath of the Gorakhpur hospital tragedy, which saw 63 children dying of acute encephalitis within a span of 4 days in July 2017, the UP government suspended Khan and initiated a departmental inquiry against him. He was levelled with seven charges including indiscipline, corruption and gross negligence during duty.
New Delhi, October 4: The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered a fresh probe against Dr Kafeel Khan, the suspended resident doctor of Gorakhpur's BRD Medical College. The inquiry against him has been sanctioned days after he was given clean chit in a report submitted by a senior IAS officer. Announcing a new investigation against him, the Principal Secretary of UP's Medical Education Department, Rajneesh Dube, said the government has not cleared Khan of any of the serious charges levelled against him.
In the aftermath of the Gorakhpur hospital tragedy, which saw 63 children dying of acute encephalitis within a span of four days in July 2017, the UP government suspended Khan and initiated a departmental inquiry against him. He was levelled with seven charges including indiscipline, corruption and gross negligence during duty.
As per the allegations, Khan had siphoned off oxygen cylinders sent to the BRD Hospital to a private nursing home which was being allegedly run by him. He was further accused of serving at a private medical facility while being employed as a government doctor and a regular spokesperson of the BRD Medical College.
During his suspension period, more charges were added against Khan after reports claimed that he attempted to forcibly enter inside a children's ward in Bahraich district hospital and treat the patients.
The inquiry report submitted on September 27, the details of which were accessed by the media, absolved him of all the above allegations. The report said that he was not in-charge of the AES ward no 100 of the BRD Medical college, where the spree of deaths were reported in July 2017.
Further, the report dismissed the charge that Khan had not informed his seniors about the shortage of oxygen cylinders at the hospital. The charges of indiscipline and gross negligence were also struck down.
The UP government has, however, claimed that the report should not be considered as a clean chit for Khan. "Dr Kafeel Khan has not been exonerated in the case," said Dube, further accusing him of misleading the public through repeated false statements on the social media as well as the mainstream media.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 04, 2019 09:43 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).