Still waiting for a formal letter of removal from his post, Kafeel Khand has filed an inquiry under the Right to Information Act to get details.
In his appeal addressed to Alok Kumar, Khan said that the officer in question, on November 10 and 11, told journalists that Khan was being removed from his post at the Baba Raghav Das Medical College, Gorakhpur as he had been found guilty of what is known as the oxygen tragedy, which led to the death of 63 children.
“Till date, I have not been informed through any medium” of the decision the appeal says. It also notes that the High Court where the matter is sub judice has not been given any information about the issue though on November 11- when the court was in session regarding his case.
Amidst 168 doctors and 1000s of employees, Khan was the only one found guilty.
“As the junior most doctor who was on leave, I had tried to do my utmost to help the children. It is in the inquiry that efforts were made to get oxygen cylinders. But who made those efforts?”, said Khan.
It is noteworthy that a government inquiry has already found Khan not guilty of the medical negligence that he is now being charged with as a reason for his removal from service.
On April 15, 2019, the inquiry against Khan had concluded, ‘There is no evidence that suggests his involvement in corruption… charges of medical negligence were baseless and without any substance’. The government had subsequently ordered a second inquiry that started on February 24, 2020, but then had decided to withdraw it on August 9, 2021.
