Telangana Medical Council suspends many doctors

Hyderabad: Activists and medical victims like Mr Nikhil Reddy were happy with the firm action taken by the Telangana Medical Council on Sunday in suspending certain doctors.

Mr Mujtaba Askari who had filed an RTI query, said, “The decision is appreciated as it sends a clear message to the doctors that they will be made accountable and they must follow ethical systems.”

Mr Nikhil Reddy, the victim of height reconstruction surgery, asid, “We are very happy that action has been taken against the doctor. It’s been seven months after the surgery but I am not able to take two steps even with the walker. Dr Chandra Bhushan had not mentioned these problems at all in the consent taken by him. We request the council to also take action against the hospital also.”

The suspension orders issued to the doctors mean that they cannot practice medicine or teach in medical colleges.

Among those suspended, Dr Chandra Bhushan, orthopaedic surgeon at Global Hospitals, gynaecologist Dr Namratha, Dr Krishna Kant Reddy and psychiatrists Dr Hari Kumar Ravva and Dr Minhaj Nasirabadi are from the city. Dr Rahul Carter is from Nellore and Dr T. Manoj Kumar from Jagtial  Karimnagar.

Dr Ravinder Reddy, chairman of the Telangana Medical Council said, “We have not acted under any pressure. These actions are based on the findings of the ethics committee which has properly investigated the cases. In the case of Dr Bhushan there is a clear indication that the parents of Nikhil Reddy were not informed about the surgery which the doctor must have duly carried out. Similarly, Dr Namratha must inform the parents of third party eggs or sperms which were used for surrogacy. This is negligence."

In the case of the three psychiatrists, the council found that their name was used in the de-addiction centre but the doctor’s hardly saw the patients.

Psychiatrist Dr Nasirabadi said, “After the order was received the course of action will be decided. A legal recourse will be looked upon.”

According to members of the Hyderabad Psychiatrist Society, the three cases against psychiatrists were more than five years old.

A senior member said, “These doctors have served one year of censorship. Why are they being suspended now? There was no negligence or harm to the patient. The patients came to the de-addiction centre and were treated. With TS having no proper laws for de-addiction centre the doctor’s names were used to start the centre and they have closed down.”

The other doctors refused to comment stating that till they get the hard copy they would not want to reveal their course of action.