Dr Puja Khedkar did NOT work at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital as an Endocrinologist or in any other capacity, clarifies Hospital
New Delhi: Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has refuted the claims that Dr Puja Khedkar, the Probationary Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer who recently came under the spotlight for allegedly misusing her current position, worked as an Endocrinologist at the hospital.
Through a recent statement, a hospital spokesperson referred to the media records and social media posts claiming that Dr. Khedkar worked in Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and clarified that such claims were FALSE.
"Reports are appearing in news portals/ reports of freelancers/social media/ linkedin profiles that one Dr Pooja aka Dr Puja Khedkar had worked in Delhi’s "Gangaram"hospital as an endocrinologist," the spokesperson said.
"This is to clarify that no doctor by the name of Dr Pooja Khedkar or Dr Puja Khedkar has ever trained or worked in SIR GANGA RAM hospital of New Delhi as an endocrinologist or in any other capacity. Claims to the effect are false," he further added.
Pooja Khedkar is an IAS trainee officer of the 2022 batch from the Maharashtra Cadre. She is said to have secured rank 821 (Pwd-5) in the UPSC exams. Before appearing for the IAS exam conducted by UPSC, she completed her MBBS and registered herself with the Maharashtra Medical Council in 2013.
As per her official records, she has been registered with MMC as an MBBS practitioner since 2013. As per medical council records, her registration was valid up to 26th March 2023 and has not been updated after that. Her LinkedIn profile which now stands deleted showed that she has worked as an Endocrinologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Delhi, media reports had earlier mentioned.
The hospital authorities have now refuted this claim that Dr Khedkar was working at the hospital. Also Read: IAS trainee, Dr Puja Khedkar under Scanner for alleged misuse of power, an endocrinologist?
Medical Dialogues found that both her MMC registration, as well as, her NMC records, mention her registration as an MBBS with no specialisation or super specialization degree.
The controversy around Dr Puja Khedkar:
The 34-year-old IAS trainee officer is in the eye of the storm for allegedly misusing the disability of ‘blindness and mental illness’, Other Backward Class quota to secure a position in the IAS and her power. She has been accused of demanding a separate cabin, car, residential quarters and a peon before her appointment.
Khedkar, gained the attention of the media and the government after Pune Collector Suhas Diwase submitted a 25-page report to Nitin Gadre, the additional chief secretary accusing her of asking for privileges not typically provided to trainee officers which included demands for a separate office, official vehicle, staff and others. Diwase also accused her of using a private Audi car with a red-blue beacon light and a VIP number plate.
The Centre recently formed a one-member panel to investigate the controversy involving Dr Khedkar. Official sources on Friday told the news agency that she may be terminated from service if found guilty.
They said all documents presented by her to secure her candidature in the civil services examination and then for selection in the service will be re-examined by a single-member committee.
