AIIMS doctor's voluntary retirement request rejected over reports of taking bribe

New Delhi: The aspersions of bribery have proven very costly for an AIIMS doctor whose plea for voluntary retirement has been rejected by the institute.

The doctor, who was due to retire next year, was reported to have been shifted out of his department after a preliminary investigation was conducted which proved the allegations that he had taken money from a patient's father for performing a surgery. 

The accused doctor, professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at AIIMS, and he had applied for voluntary retirement a week after a complaint was filed against him. A fact finding committee found the allegations made against the doctor to be true following which he was shifted to National Cancer Institute in Jhajjar, however, it has been reported that he has not been assigned with work there. 

As per the preliminary inquiry report, the doctor asked the attendant of the patient to pay money for procurement of supplies, after the doctor introduced the kin to a supplier in his room. The father of the patient reportedly paid money to the supplier but did not get any receipt or supplies after the supplier said that he would provide necessary supplies to the doctor directly, reports the Times of India. They paid Rs 30,000 first to the vendor and later, they allegedly paid another Rs 4,000 to the doctor, said the report. 

The report by the committee stated, "Having conducted a preliminary inquiry into the matter, the committee is of the opinion that the complaint made by Lal Singh Chaubey has merit and the allegations of having paid money for surgery to Dr ** *** can not be denied. The testimonies of two different patients' attendants, the complainant and one other patient, each independent of the other, are very clear and similar and lend credence to the complaint. The complaint made by Lal Singh Chaubey carries weight and is not motivated." 

The committee was chaired by Dr Sunil Chumber, with three other members, Dr Manish Singhal, Dr Rajeev Kumar and Dr Nirupan Madan. The fact finding report has been submitted to the ministry. 

The private secretary to union health minister Vaibhav Bajaj said that he had received no information about ay action taken against the doctor based on the report and is waiting for an update from the institute officials. 

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