AIIMS doctor fired for taking money for surgery; Center seeks report
After a preliminary investigation by a fact-finding committee determined that the complaint against the doctor had merit, the hospital administration moved him out of his department and directed him to report to the National Cancer Institute in Jhajjar.
FollowA doctor from AIIMS's obstetrics and gynaecology department allegedly took money from a patient's father to perform surgery, prompting the Union health ministry to request a report from the hospital.
A preliminary investigation by a fact-finding committee found merit in the complaint against the doctor, so the hospital administration moved him out of his department and directed him to report to the National Cancer Institute in Jhajjar. The lawsuit was filed in June of this year.Â
According to the committee's report, Lal Singh Choubey, a security guard at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), filed a complaint alleging that he approached the concerned doctor for treatment of his daughter in October 2021 and was told she needed surgical intervention.
Her surgery was completed on October 30 of last year. Choubey claimed that the doctor told him before the surgery that it would cost around Rs 40,000 due to the procurement of supplies from a vendor.
The complainant was introduced to a 'supplier' on the morning of his daughter's surgery. Choubey claimed that he paid the 'supplier' in cash but was denied a receipt when he asked for one. He was told that if he wanted a receipt, he would have to pay Goods and Services Tax (GST), so he did not pursue the matter, according to the report.
The complainant claimed he paid the 'supplier' with money he had saved for his elder daughter's wedding.
When asked by the committee why he had waited so long to file the complaint, Choubey stated that he was concerned about the treatment of his daughter.
The complainant stated that his daughter told a friend who had accompanied her to the outpatient department (OPD) during her follow-up visits that her family had spent Rs 36,000 on the surgery. One of the OPD officers overheard the conversation and advised her to file a complaint.
Choubey then filed a complaint in June. He also stated that he had no complaints about his daughter's treatment and was grateful to the doctor for treating her.
"After conducting a preliminary investigation, the committee believes that Lal Singh Choubey's complaint has merit, and the allegations of having paid money for surgery, cannot be denied."
"The testimonies of two different patient attendants, the complainant and another patient, each independent of the other, are obvious and similar, lending credence to the complaint." The complaint by Lal Singh Choubey is credible and unmotivated, according to the committee.
The committee spoke with two other patients treated by the same doctor, and one admitted to paying Rs 34,000 to a vendor for supplies. According to the report, the doctor introduced the patient to the vendor in his office.
According to an official, the Union health ministry has requested a report on the matter from the AIIMS administration.
(With inputs from PTI)
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