A doctor, who had last month tested positive for COVID-19, was arrested on Sunday for allegedly breaking COVID-19 guidelines when he went to the Deputy Commissioner’s camp office despite knowing his positive status, police said.
Lokender Goel, owner of a private hospital in Kurukshetra, whose facility had been admitting COVID patients, was arrested after a case was registered against him under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
Dr. Goel was produced before a duty magistrate here. However, he was later released on bail.
According to SHO, Kurukshetra, Davinder Walia, the arrest was made based on a complaint filed by Amrik Singh, personal assistant to the Deputy Commissioner of Kurukshetra, on April 27.
In his complaint, Mr. Singh had alleged that Dr. Goel, who had tested COVID-19 positive a few days ago, had come to the DC’s camp office along with 25 to 30 relatives of some COVID patients under treatment at his hospital.
The complainant had alleged that the doctor forcibly entered the camp office by pushing the policeman on duty around 8.30 p.m.
He raised a hue and cry that his hospital, which is handling 80 COVID patients, is left with oxygen for just about an hour.
However, an enquiry by the Chief Medical Officer found that oxygen supplywas sufficient till 4 a.m. the next day.
As a result, Dr. Goel not only endangered the life of others having tested COVID-19 positive but also created unnecessary panic among the patients and their relatives, the complainant has alleged.
In the meanwhile, Dr.Goel has tested negative for the virus.
His wife Dr. Monika, who is a director of the hospital, alleged that the administration had acted in a biased manner towards them as they had filed a case of recovery of over ₹2.50 crore pending against the State government in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
She said the sum was incurred for the treatment of COVID patients sent by the government to their hospital in the first phase of the pandemic last year.
‘Tanker detailed’
Dr. Monika said the oxygen tanker purchased by the hospital from their vendor was allegedly detained by the police in Karnal on April 27 for over 10 hours forcing Dr. Goel to go personally to the DC’s camp office when his telephone calls did not bear any effect, and the life of the patients was endangered.
