Mumbai: ‘Partying’ doctors could lose their licence

Jeevan Jyot Charitable Trust provided MD and MBBS doctors in shifts to VN Desai Hospital. Pic/Satej Shinde

Following mid-day's expose on the questionable services provided by contractual doctors of Jeevan Jyot Charitable Trust to the civic-run VN Desai Hospital, the hospital initiated an inquiry and discontinued its services.

The hospital officials also wrote to the Deputy Municipal Commissioner of health seeking action (cancellation of registration) against two doctors - one who went out to celebrate a birthday, the other disappeared - who left patients in ICU at the mercy of God. mid-day had reported on September 20, 2022 that Dr Chetan Rathod and Dr Mandar Muley, provided by Jeevan Jyot Charitable Trust to VN Desai Municipal General Hospital, left seven ICU patients to their fate for hours on the night of September 16. It was alleged that one doctor went to Dr R.N Cooper Hospital to celebrate a birthday and the other disappeared.

At least seven patients in the ICU were left without a doctor's care on September 16. Representation pic

Taking cognizance of mid-day's report, the hospital issued a show cause notice on September 20 to both doctors demanding an explanation within two days, failing which it would be recommended to the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) to cancel their registration. The doctors allegedly didn't bother to respond and the hospital asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) Chief Medical Superintendent and the Trust on October 3, to seek an explanation from both doctors. The doctors didn't turn up for the same. It is on record that doctors were absent from TICU/ MICU on September 16, and one had left even before the reliever doctor came.

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Routine lapses

However, it is learnt that there were lapses in the services, mismanagement, violation of terms on by the trust on a routine basis. Despite this the payments to it were being released. The BMC pays the trust Rs 42 lakh every 125 days for its services to VN Desai Hospital. It had been providing its services to the hospital since 2018.

A senior official from the hospital said, "There were multiple complaints against the doctors of Jeevan Jyot Charitable Trust and an inquiry was conducted. Seeing its poor record we removed Jeevan Jyot's services from VN Desai. In the hospital inquiry report we also wrote to the Deputy Municipal Commissioner of health seeking action against both doctors and initiating action to cancel their licenses in December 2022. The hospital has slapped a fine on the trust, however the rest of the payment is in process."

The hospital has also asked Jeevan Jyot to submit the degrees of the doctors, which has not been done yet. When mid-day spoke to Dr Prashant More, superintendent of VN Desai about the development he said, "We are not authorised to speak." DMC health Sanjay Kurhade said, "I am on leave and don't have information right now."

Quacks provided by the trust?

The hospital wrote to the trust and chief medical superintendent of BMC on September 20, saying many doctors provided by the trust did not have valid MMC registration. The doctor to be provided must be an MD in medicine or anaesthesia. A similar letter had been written on August 10, 2022 the trust by the hospital, stating that unqualified doctors with no MMC registration were being sent to work despite repeated reminders. On August 7, it is learnt that one Dr Vivek was the only doctor working in the MICU. A patient died and he couldn't issue the death certificate as he had no registration. Despite warnings not to send him again, he was sent to the hospital on August 10.

A previous similar letter to the trust on June 26, 2022 was also ignored. A letter dated May 2, 2022 mentions the serious matter of doctors serving in MICU and TICU not being the same whose certificates were provided. A similar letter dated November 17, 2022 stated that the payment wont be released until the documents are provided. It is shocking despite all this, payments have been made to the trust with a miniscule fine of Rs 100 per day for absenteeism of doctors. It is likely that the remaining payment will be released.