Civic body withdraws notice sent to doc for prescribing swab test

A day after HT had reported that a Ghatkopar physician was issued a show-cause notice for prescribing a Covid-19 swab test to an asymptomatic patient, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Sunday has withdrawn the notice amid widespread criticism from the medical fraternity.

As per the notice issued by Ajit Ambi, assistant municipal commissioner of N ward, Dr Chetan Velani was found violating the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897; the Disaster Management Act, 2005, as well as the guidelines issued by BMC over Covid-19 testing. Stating that prescribing the swab test to an asymptomatic patient was in violation of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), BMC notice said Dr Velani’s licence would be cancelled if he failed to respond within 24 hours of receiving the letter.

While Ambi did not respond to HT’S calls till the time of going to press, Dr Velani has refuted the allegations. “On Sunday, when I asked BMC to provide the details of the asymptomatic patient [who was allegedly prescribed the swab test], they couldn’t give me any information. Why would I waste the government’s resources if the patient is not a Covid suspect?” he said

“The government should give some freedom to doctors on identifying Covid patients. What if I don’t prescribe a swab test to a suspected patient and he dies due to health complications? Then they will impose a medico-legal case on us,” added Dr Velani.

Other doctors, too have come out in Dr Velani’s support. Dr Deepak Baid, president of Association of Medical Consultants, said the physician did not violate any rule, as he prescribed the test after physically examining the patient. “ICMR wants us to wait until patients shows symptoms. But by then, their conditions keep deteriorating and the virus is also transmitted to others. Instead of threatening us for doing our duty, the government should provide us with protective gears,” he said.