The Gujarat health department on Monday announced the formation of a fresh 3-member panel to investigate the harassment and torture allegations by Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA) of BJ Medical College against Dr Kamlesh Upadhyay, the head of medicine department at BJMC. The three panel committee includes professor and surgery department head of Government Medical College at Surat, Dr Nimesh Varma, and retired deputy secretaries I N Solanki and CM Gohil. The state’s health department said that this committee would ensure an impartial and fair probe into the allegations.
This news comes following a statement by JDA-BJMC where the association said that junior doctors would withdraw from emergency and OPD duties indefinitely from February 21, unless their demand for a fair probe is met. It was said that nearly 1500 doctors would be involved in the strike.
JDA-BJMC, which is affiliated with Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, has been protesting against Dr Upadhayay for about three months and demanding a fair probe in the matter.
The newest panel was formed after the association expressed dissatisfaction towards the committee that was formed in December 2021. The previous panel included dean of Government Medical College of Bhavnagar Dr Hemant Mehta, dean of MP Shah Medical College in Jamnagar Dr Nandini Desai, dean of Government Medical College, Surat, Dr Rhutumbhara Mehta and medical superintendent of SSG Hospital in Vadodara Dr R G Aiyer.
Even with the addition of Solanki and Gohil, JDA-BJMC claimed that the panel was not an impartial one. Thus, the old committee was dissolved and the 3-member body was constituted yesterday. The committee has been given a 30-day time-period to complete its probe.
