Punjab Govt suspends Amritsar Medical College principal

Chandigarh, Sep 18 (UNI) The Punjab Government today suspended Amritsar Medical College Principal Dr Jaswinderpal Kaur Shergill in the controversial 'kidney removal case'.

Along with Dr Shergill, the government also suspended emergency cuty officer Dr H S Grewal.

A probe into the case has been ordered by the government. The inquiry has been assigned to a three member team headed by Dr U S Dhaliwal, Principal Sri Guru Ram Das Medical College and Hospital, Amritsar.

The other members of the inquiry team are Dr A S Thind, Additional Professor forensic medicine at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College, Faridkot and Dr Jai Kishan Saini, head of the TB Department of Medical College at Patiala.

Dr Jagdish Gargi, Director-cum-Principal Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences would hold additional charge of the Amritsar Medical College, Medical Education and Research Minister Tikshan Sud said here today while confirming the suspension of the Principal.

The case pertains to the alleged removal of a kidney of a girl during the course of an operation at Guru Nanak Dev hospital of the Medical College last year by Dr Shergill, who was then heading the surgery department. However, doctors who carried out the operation had defended the removal of the kidney as it was non functional. After being removed, it was sent for testing to the Pathology department.

Meanwhile taking notice of a news item regarding a stray dog bite case in Amritsar and the alleged maltreatment by the concerned doctor of the Amritsar Medical College hospital towards the patient, the Minister ordered an inquiry into this matter also. The child who suffered the dog bite later died in hospital.

Director Research and Medical Education (DRME) Dr J S Dalal has been asked to submit a preliminary report into the case so that the guilty could be punished for failing to take care of the patient. Dr A S Padda, Medical Superintendent of the Medical College hospital has been directed to explain the alleged allegations in this regard, he added.

The Minister further said a three member inquiry team comprising Dr Param Pal Singh Kunar, Joint Director of medical education, Dr Krishan Kajal of Medical College, Faridkot and Dr Mohinder Singh of Medical College, Patiala had been constituted to probe the allegations of maltreatment of the dog bite patient.

The Minister said the Amritsar Deputy Commissioner had been asked to provide Rs 50,000 to the aggrieved parents of the deceased child as compensation immediately.

Mr Sud asked the medical faculty to pay full attention to patients. He warned that negligency and laxity in performing duties would not be tolerated at any cost.

UNI