Allahabad HC Orders Inquiry Into Private Practice of Govt Doctors in UP Medical Colleges

Prayagraj (UP): The Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to conduct an inquiry to find out if doctors appointed in different state-run medical colleges were carrying out private practice in nursing homes.

The court, in its January 2 order, has also directed the state's Principal Secretary, Medical Education and Health, to inform it as to whether a head of department (HoD) in Moti Lal Nehru Medical College, Prayagraj, who is the petitioner in this case, is entitled to practice in any private nursing home or not.

Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal was hearing a petition filed by Arvind Gupta, who is an HoD and a professor in the state-run Moti Lal Nehru Medical College, Rupesh Chandra Srivastava had filed a complaint before the consumer forum alleging that he and his wife were given wrong treatment by Gupta in Phoenix Hospital, which is a private nursing home in Prayagraj district.

The counsel appearing for the petitioner claimed that no order was passed by the district consumer forum and the matter came up before state consumer forum. According to the counsel, the matter relates to Rs1,890 only and is not cognisable before the state consumer forum.

However, the court took serious note of the involvement of a professor of a state-run medical college in a private hospital.

"The basic question, which needs to be addressed at the outset is as to whether Dr. Arvind Gupta, Head of Department and Professor in Motilal Nehru Medical College, Prayagraj can give any treatment to any patient in a private nursing home in the city being in the services of state government and holding the post of HoD and professor in state medical college," it said.

It issued directives to the Uttar Pradesh government to conduct an inquiry to find out if doctors appointed in different state-run medical colleges were carrying on private practice in nursing homes.

The court also directed that on the next hearing, the counsel for the petitioner shall address the court as to how the petitioner had given treatment to the complainant in the private nursing home.

The next hearing in the case is on January 8.