Doctor suspended in AMU’s medical college for negligence

A man admitted to JNMC had tested positive on Monday

An associate professor of the Department of Medicine in Aligarh Muslim University’s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College and Hospital has been suspended by Vice-Chancellor Tariq Mansoor for negligence and misconduct. The suspension has come after a person admitted to JNMC tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. The 55-year-old man, who was on ventilator support, passed away on Tuesday afternoon, said Haris Mansoor Khan, Chief Medical Superintendent, JNMC. “He was also suffering from diabetes and hypertension. He came late to the hospital,” he said.

B.P. Singh, Chief Medical Officer, Aligarh, said the protocol would be followed during the burial. The district administration on Monday had asked the JNMC why it didn’t inform the district health department about the COVID-19 infected person in time and whether the protocol was followed.

‘Not isolated’

According to the university spokesperson, the person had come to the hospital in an emergency situation, late on Sunday night. His test was conducted and the administration was informed the next morning. However, university sources said, it appeared that the doctor used his position to get the patient admitted to casualty when the protocol demanded that he be taken to an isolation facility. The doctor’s wife runs a private hospital in the city, and according to sources, it is suspected that the infected person was treated there as well.

After the incident, the district administration has quarantined the doctor and his family. On Tuesday, it was decided that a list of patients admitted to the isolation ward and emergency be sent to district officials in the morning and evening every day.

District Magistrate Chandra Bhushan Singh has also ordered to seal and cancel the licence of a private X-ray lab in the city where the said infected person was tested despite showing flu-like symptoms.

“As the deceased had visited more than one medical facility, the number of cases could increase. We are doing contact tracing and also investigating the role of the doctors,” said SSP Muniraj P.