TCN News
Dr. Kafeel Khan, lecturer paediatrician of Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medial College hospital, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, who had been suspended from duty and later arrested on allegations of negligence that resulted in death of 33 children, was invited for a press conference at Press Club, Kolkata today, 8th July, evening.
He was invited to deliver a lecture on: two years of #BRDoxygenTragedy – continued victimization of Dr kafeel Khan by Uttar Pradesh government and to launch the West -Bengal chapter of ‘Health for All campaign’.
Dr. Kafeel told the audience that the children in the BRD Hospital died as a result of stoppage of supply of liquid oxygen due to non-payment of dues to vendor by the Government. And in order to hide the inefficiency of the government, he was made a scape goat.
The Allahabad High Court categorically stated that there is no evidence of medical negligence against him and that he was not involved with oxygen tender. In reply to a RTI, the government also accepted that there was shortage of liquid oxygen for 54 hours in BRD medical College on 10th, 11th and 12th of August 2017. And Dr Kafeel Khan indeed arranged jumbo oxygen cylinders to save the dying children.
The UP High court in its judgment on 30th April 2018 observed that there was shortage of liquid oxygen due to abrupt disruption of liquid oxygen supply due to non-payment of dues to the supplier.
He said that “the real culprits of #BRDOXYGENTRAGEDY massacre are those who received letters of dues from suppliers and their action should be thoroughly investigated to know the real facts and they should be removed from their post until pending enquiry including our Health ministers.”
“I demand CBI enquiry of BRD Oxygen tragedy and to move the case outside Uttar-Pradesh as those responsible for the massacre are still at helm and are heading the enquiry”.
Expressing his sympathy to the parents who lost their innocent children and are still awaiting justice, he said the government should apologize to them and also give compensation.
He shared the hard times he faced after his suspension and imprisonment which took a toll on him both emotionally and physically. He also spoke about the horrifying experience when an attempt was made on the life of his brother who was shot and the insensitive attitude of the UP police who tried their best to delay the emergency operation to remove the bullets by many hours.
The Hon’ble High Court in its order dated 07/03/19 has ordered the UP government to finish the enquiry within 90 days that is by 7th June 2019 and the Hon’ble Supreme Court in his order dated 10/05/19 has ordered the UP government to pay all his suspension allowances dues of approximately 16 lacks
Dr. Khan said that his main concern is that government sponsored victimization of his family is still continued while he is struggling to survive, running from pillar to post for over 2 years now despite the orders of both the High Court and Supreme court. The Uttar Pradesh Government is neither paying his dues nor revoking his suspension subjecting him to a life of turmoil on a day to day basis.
He demanded that the CBI should investigate the matter and rule out any complicity of state officials.
Inaugurating the Kolkata chapter of ‘Health for all campaign’ he said the entire Indian health care system needs an overhaul. According to the Global Hunger Index, India ranks 103 out of 119 and 145 out of 195 in terms of quality and accessibility of healthcare as per the Lancet study.
The specific problems he pointed out are: 50% children are malnourished and 62% are immunized; 8, 02,000 infant deaths were reported in India in 2017 (UN reports);
4 lakh people died of tuberculosis while India has the third-largest number of people living with HIV in the world; there are 1.5 lakh vacancies in health services with one primary healthcare Centre (often manned by one doctor) for more than 51,000 population.
Some of the possible solutions to improve the health care system as per Dr. Kafeel Khan are:
- Access to good quality health care services without anyone having to face financial hardship–for all at all ages irrespective of caste/religion/region/gender/disability/ economic status.
- Government should provide health services that are affordable, adequate, new & acceptable for its citizens-free consultation/drugs/diagnostics and free emergency care services in all public hospitals.
- Increase in public health expenditure to 3% of the GDP.
- Increase the budget allocated for health services Rs 1.5 Lakhs Cr/every year for the next 5 years.
- Fill all the 1.5 Lakhs existing vacancies and create new jobs every year.
- Regularize National Health Mission employees, Equal pay for equal work, social security for them.
- ASHA workers to get 20000 per month and Aganwadi workers to get 15000 per month minimum salary.
- Cut GST rate to 5% from the current 18 per cent on health insurance premium.
- GST exemption for OPD Products and drugs for serious ailments such as cancer and diabetes.
- Reduce GST rate to 5% from the current 18 per cent on medical technology solutions.
The event was attended by the media and health activists in Kolkata.