Patient’s father faces IMA music

In a landmark decision, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has permanently terminated the membership of the doctor-father of West Bengal’s first Covid-19 patient for his “severe negligence” and “suppression of facts” about his teenaged son’s infection of the deadly virus abroad.

Cracking a whip, the IMA has also suggested to the Medical Council of India (MCI) to cancel the pediatrician’s registration which is mandatory for any doctor for practice. West Bengal state secretary of the IMA Dr Santanu Sen, who is also a Trinamul Congress Rajya Sabha MP, told this newspaper about the decision on Friday evening.

“The IMA has taken a decision to terminate the membership of the doctor permanently. The process has been started. The IMA has also sent a proposal to the MCI to consider the cancellation of his registration for his negligence,” he said, adding that the decision was taken on Thursday evening and it would be conveyed to the doctor based at Krishnanagar in Nadia soon.

The IMA’s decision came after the 18-year-old boy’s father gave a clean chit to his son and also himself about taking precautions.

On the counts of negligence, Dr Sen, who is also the immediate past president of the IMA, underlined, “It is a severe negligence on the doctor's part because he knew that his son was affected since he had come from abroad with a history of being contracted. While knowing it fully well, he never disclosed it.”

“Rather the doctor suppressed the fact. Not only this, he also went back to his place at Krishnanagar after meeting his son. He has also seen so many pediatric patients. All of them are now in deep trouble. This is a serious offence. He can not do it,” he added.