“I was made a scapegoat to save real culprits, will move SC”: Dr Kafeel Khan on being terminated by UP govt

Reacting to his dismissal by the UP Government, Dr Kafeel Khan on Thursday said that he was made “a scapegoat to save the real culprits” and that he will “fight for justice till the end”.

Talking to National Herald, an emotional Dr Khan, who remained suspended for the last four years in Gorakhpur’s BRD medical college negligence case, said, “I want my job back and no one can snatch it away from me.”

Saying that he has not received the order yet, Dr Khan, who was behind bars in Agra Central jail for months after being booked for a speech at an anti-CAA event, said, “I will fight for justice for the victims also. Fathers and family members of the kids who died in BRD medical college due to oxygen shortage are still waiting for justice”.

Over 60 children, suffering from AES (acute encephalitis syndrome) had died in the BRD medical college, Gorakhpur in 2017. As per media reports, 30 children had died within a period of 48 hours, with 17 of them dying in the neo-natal ward.

Dr Kafeel Khan, who was then posted in the paediatrics department of the hospital, had flagged the issue by writing a 10-page letter to the government but was instead made an accused by the BJP-led government in UP.

Indicating that his termination from service just before the assembly polls was aimed at appeasing (Hindu) voters, Dr Khan named the then UP Health Minister Siddharth Singh and Medical Education Minister Ashok Tandon as the “real culprits.”

“The UP government had made nine people accused in the case and suspended them but eight people have since been reinstated,” said Dr Khan.

Saying that he was given a clean chit in various inquiries, he asked, “Why was I only dismissed? They have singled me out to send a message to their constituency.” Kafeel told National Herald that he said he will move to the Supreme Court to challenge the termination of his services.

It is important to note here that despite calling the disruption of oxygen a major lapse, the Yogi government maintained that none of the deaths was caused due to a shortage of oxygen.

“'There was inadequate oxygen supply for those 2 hours, but the administration had ensured that there is no shortage of cylinders at the hospital,” Siddharth Singh had said.

Media reports said that the deaths were caused due to an oxygen shortage after a private supplier withdrew its equipment over unpaid dues by the hospital.