Joint director issues "Show Cause" to Dr. Arijit Paul for private practice; "Did it on the humanitarian ground"

In June 2020, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Assam had issued an order prohibiting private practice for doctors and paramedical staff working under the Health Department. The decision, the ministry said has been taken to restrict the further spread of COVID19 virus in the society.

The joint director, District Health Services issued a “show cause” notice to Dr. Arijit Paul Sr. M&HO, S M Dev Civil Hospital for violating the government order and practicing in Gracewell Hospital in Meherpur Silchar. As per the letter issued by the joint director, Dr. Arijit Paul has performed a Cesarean Section operation at the private nursing home.

The joint director has asked Dr. Arijit Paul to explain why he violated the government order. He also questioned the doctor if he was qualified enough to perform the C-Section. “As per the official record, you are only having MBBS degree and you have neither informed and nor submitted any papers to this office regarding your specialization in O&G (Obsterity and Gynecology),” states the letter.

Adding, “So being a general practitioner, not having proper qualification of O&G, how could you engage yourself in performing Cesarean Section Operation.”

The letter issued on August 4, 2020, asks Dr. Arijit Paul to send his reply to the office of the undersigned within 3 (three) days without fail.

When Barak Bulletin reached out to Dr. Arijit Paul for a comment, he said he “I did it on the humanitarian grounds.” According to Paul, the patient was bedridden when she got admitted to Gracewell Hospital. “She had other complications too and that is when the doctors at Gracewell referred her to Silchar Medical College and Hospital. They went to SMCH but after seeing the condition returned to Gracewell,” informed Paul.

He added, “Being a doctor, I could not let the patient die and so there was no other option for me but to operate. After the operation, both the baby and mother were doing fine. Three days after the birth of the baby, the family moved to SMCH as they could not afford the private nursing home any longer.”

The mother died in SMCH after testing positive for COVID19. The baby, however, is doing fine. “Most of the nursing homes are shut, people are dying unattended at Silchar Medical College and Hospital, and in such a scenario, I am being penalised for saving a life. Being a doctor, I could not leave them to die and that is why my conscience forced me to violate the prohibitory letter issued by the department.”