Medical Council of India building in Dwarka. Medical Council of India building in Dwarka.

It seems the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government doesn't practice what it preaches. The party, quite vocal about self professed honesty and sincerity towards Delhiites, has failed to prove itself on the ground.

In its latest decision, the AAP government has nominated two tainted doctors as health care watchdogs to keep an eye on quacks and cases of medical negligence.

Of the four doctors nominated to the 23-member Delhi Medical Council (DMC), two are facing charges of medical negligence. The council - a regulatory body for registered doctors and medical education in the state - was dysfunctional in the absence of the members since the past two months.

The nominated members are Dr Atul Kumar Gupta, Dr Arun Kumar Gupta, Dr Chander Prakash and Dr Yogesh Kumar Sarin. But it seems the government didn't show due diligence before nominating Dr Prakash and Dr Sarin to the council.

MAIL TODAY had on March 6 reported on the medical body lying dysfunctional in the absence of any ratification from the Delhi government. Its term had expired in December 2014.

Dr Prakash, a director in Sunder Lal Jain Hospital, was arrested by the police on July 13, 2001, in connection with the death of an accident victim, 30-year-old Shamshad Ali of Azadpur. Ali, who had met with the accident on May 16 that year, died after he allegedly didn't receive proper medical aid at Sunder Lal Jain Hospital. As per the case, Dr Prakash had demanded a deposit of Rs 25,000 from Ali and, when he couldn't arrange the amount, refused him admission.

The injured man was later shifted to Sushrut Trauma Centre where he died the same day. The trauma centre doctors opined that Ali could have been saved through a minor operation if he had received timely medical care. On May 6 last year, the Supreme Court had refused to quash the charges against the doctor and ordered that a charge sheet be filed under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code. "It will, however, be open for the trial court to frame charges under Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code based on the material available before it," the apex court's order stated.

Under Section 304-A, whoever causes the death of any person by a rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide, shall be punished with imprisonment up to two years, or with fine, or both.

"How can a doctor who himself is booked for medical negligence be appointed by the government to monitor the cases of medical negligence?" a senior health official wondered.

Similarly, Dr Sarin, the head of department of paediatric surgery at Lok Nayak Jaya Prakash Narayan Hospital, had faced the charge of medical negligence by Ravindra Nath Dubey, who alleged that Dr Sarin wrongly operated in 2005 on his two-anda-half-year son.

Dubey, who is an auto-rickshaw driver, had approached then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit regarding the case. The family is still awaiting justice while their son undergoes treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). "Dr Sarin removed one of my son's kidneys, which was not even required. A total of eight surgeries were performed on my son in just a little over two years. I will spend all my savings but fight for my son," Dubey told MAIL TODAY. Sources at the hospital told MAIL TODAY that a staffer had recently filed a complaint of sexual harassment against Dr Sarin. "Though nothing has been established as yet, we are investigating the matter," a hospital official said. Dr Sarin told MAIL TODAY: "These allegations are completely baseless. I don't even know in what context you are saying this. The patient has harassed me everywhere. He has tried to reach out to every minister but nothing has been established against me.

Speaking about the controversy, Health Minister Satyendra Jain told MAIL TODAY: "I wasn't aware of the latest order by the Supreme Court. The matter is still sub judice? So all I can say is that so far no charges have been framed against Dr Prakash by the apex court."

Regarding the case against Dr Sarin, the minister said he was "not aware" of any such case against him. The Delhi High Court on March 20 stayed the government's notification regarding the appointment of new members to the council. The next hearing is on April 21 and the old council can't be disbanded until the court reaches a decision. "Once a member is elected or nominated to the council, he can be removed only if he attracts disqualification and disability under the provisions of the Medical Council Act," one of the DMC members told MAIL TODAY.