Fake cardiologist row: NHRC directs Centre for nationwide verification of cath labs

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) to verify all catheterisation laboratories (cath labs) across the country in view of the case of a “fake cardiologist” who was arrested in April after multiple deaths were reported at a hospital in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh. 

Also Read | ‘Fake’ cardiologist row: Damoh Mission Hospital management booked for forgery

In a report dated July 1, seen by The Hindu, the NHRC has also issued a set of directions to Madhya Pradesh authorities, including an inspection of all cath labs functional in the State and verification of qualification of doctors working in the labs, and a departmental action against the Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO), Damoh. 

The human rights body issued directions based on its enquiry that was initiated in March on a complaint from Damoh Child Welfare Committee president, Deepak Tiwari, who had alleged that at least seven patients treated by Narendra Vikramaditya Yadav, who posed as a United Kingdom-based cardiologist identifying as Dr. N. John Camm, had passed away at Mission Hospital, Damoh. 

A three-member team of the NHRC had also visited Damoh in April to investigate the matter. 

Mr. Yadav had been arrested from Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj in April, about two months after he worked at the hospital in Damoh, after an FIR was filed against him for fraud and forgery. 

Over the course of the investigation, the local police had revealed that Mr. Yadav had been posing as a cardiologist for about 20 years and impersonating Dr. John Camm, a famous cardiologist, for about 10 years and had worked in various hospitals across India, including Apollo Hospital, Raipur, Chhattisgarh; Fortis Hospital, Kota, Rajasthan; and Wockhardt Hospital, Hyderabad, Telangana. 

The police had claimed that while his MBBS degree from University of North Bengal, Siliguri, in 1996 had been verified, various other degrees and certificates such as MD and DM were found to be “forged”.

However, the NHRC said that the principal of the North Bengal Medical College has denied that Mr. Yadav studied there. 

In its report, the NHRC has also flagged “serious irregularities” in the implementation of Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) at Mission Hospital and alleged that the hospital had been charging patients for services covered under the Scheme.

“It was observed that the hospital have systematically misused the scheme by issuing fraudulent bills for treatments. It has also been brought to the notice of the inquiry team, through the statements made by multiple family members of the patients, that there has been a pattern of overcharging, particularly in relation to high-cost procedures such as angiography,” the report said, asking the Union Health Ministry to issue directions to all State Governments to check the implementation of the Scheme in “its letter and spirit”.

“Further, it was observed that accused Ajai Lall was allegedly collecting foreign funding from aboard in the name of poor patients treatment at Mission Hospital,” it added. 

The NHRC has also asked the Income Tax department to probe the “alleged fund raising and donations from aboard” at the hospital. 

The body asked Madhya Pradesh authorities to initiate departmental action against Damoh CMHO for “negligence and dereliction of duty” over issuing the licence of cath lab to Mission Hospital in the name of Jabalpur-based cardiologist Akhilesh Dubey, who “denied giving his consent”.  

Further, the NHRC also directed the State Director-General of Police Kailash Makwana to ensure registration of separate FIRs in the cases of seven deaths, an FIR against hospital trustee Ajay Lall under relevant criminal provisions, and departmental action against police officers involved in “negligence in registration of FIR and investigation”.