LUCKNOW: Making mockery of the public health system in Uttar Pradesh, driver of a surgeon was seen assisting during a surgery in a government hospital in Fatehpur district on Sunday evening. That's not all. He was assisting a private surgeon not authorised to work in a government hospital. The patient's attendants were made to pay Rs 4,000 for a surgical procedure that is provided free in government hospitals. A preliminary probe by the chief medical officer has found the allegations prima facie true.
The patient- 65-year-old Radhey Lal- was suffering from prostate problem and required surgery. He was admitted under Dr DK Verma who operated on the patient on Sunday morning before going on leave. Later the patient felt uneasiness and Dr SN Gupta, who was on duty, found him with abdominal distention and obstructed urine passage.
The patient was taken for a second surgical procedure by Dr Gupta when a private doctor, Dr RN Tripathi, joined him. A few minutes later, Dr Verma's driver went into the operation theatre. Peeping into the OT, the family members found the driver assisting the private doctor.
As they raised an alarm, attendants of patients along with media persons barged into the OT. Acting on the reports by the local media, district magistrate Abhay asked chief medical officer (CMO) Dr KL Verma to probe the allegations. Additional CMO, Dr RS Sachan found the allegations prima facie true.
"We found a private doctor was present and many witnesses confirmed presence of the driver inside the OT. The patient's family members also claimed they had paid Rs 4,000 for the surgery. Dr Gupta failed to convincingly answer certain queries," Dr Sachan told TOI.
The CMO said the final report would be prepared once the statement of the primary surgeon - Dr DK Verma- is recorded. "He is on leave and has expressed inability to come. Till we get his side of the story, we cannot submit the final report. Chief medical superintendent of the hospital is away and has been admitted to a hospital after an accident," he said.
Both the CMO and additional CMO said Dr Verma should not have taken up the surgery since he was going on leave.
This is not for the first time such a lapse has come to light in UP. In July, a 24-year-old man died in the district hospital in Ambedkarnagar after being administered an injection by a ward boy. In Bulandshahr too, sweepers, ward boys and pharmacists were seen earlier attending to accident victims.
Principal secretary (health) Pravir Kumar said appropriate action would be taken against the doctors if they are found guilty.
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