The Uttar Pradesh government has clarified that Dr Kafeel Khan has not been absolved of his role in the deaths of children at BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur, despite the findings of a departmental inquiry.
On Thursday, Rajneesh Deubey, state’s principal secretary, medical education, said investigation into charges were ongoing in the light of new evidence.
Khan was found guilty of indulgence in private practice while being a government doctor. Two other charges—failing to inform the authorities concerned about the status of the oxygen supply and mismanagement of facilities and stocks in his role as in-charge of the 100 bed ward for children suffering from Acute Encephalitis Syndrome—were stated as ‘not proved’ in the department inquiry which concluded earlier this year.
This effectively means that the inquiry has found Khan not guilty of having a role in the deaths of children. Media too reported that ‘no charges’ have been proven against Khan. This, according to the government, is ‘untrue’ and ‘misleading’.
Khan has added to the narrative over the last week by reiterating that he was made a ‘scapegoat’ in the entire episode.
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The government, however, made it clear that “a final decision on the charges has not been made” and that “Dr Khan was getting misleading reports about the findings published in the media and on social media.”
Gorakhpur is the former Lok Sabha constituency of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a vocal advocate of improving facilities and treatment for Japanese encephalitis—a fever which effects children and causes quick death in the absence of oxygen supply to the brain.
After the deaths, it was revealed that oxygen supply to the hospital had been stopped due to non-payment of dues to the suppliers despite several reminders for the same. Khan, who was jailed for nine months, had then claimed that he had been on leave, but had arrived at the hospital and also procured oxygen cylinders from elsewhere to tide over the crisis.
Though departmental inquiries against the principal and the acting principal of the college have also concluded, the findings have not been made public.
