Civil surgeon Dr. Jasbir Singh Aulakh has demanded legal action against a physician who is suspected of falsely classifying a patient's injuries as severe in order to take strong action against the alleged misconduct. Dr. Jasvir Kathuria, the physician in controversy, is accused of violating accepted practices and possibly compromising patient safety.
A five-member medical board was formed to look into the topic after a complaint was submitted to the Office of the Civil Surgeon. The inquiry originated from an incident leading to an FIR filed on April 11.
According to Dr. Aulakh, the patient, Daljit Singh, sought medical care from Dr. Kathuria at K Deep Hospital following an alleged assault. Dr. Kathuria's report detailed injuries, including deep cuts on the forehead and parietal regions, allegedly inflicted with a sharp-edged weapon. These injuries were classified as serious, with supporting evidence provided in the form of a CT scan image and report.
However, upon scrutiny, it was discovered that the medical report lacked essential details mandated by medico-legal guidelines. Notably, there was no Medicolegal Report (MLR) number assigned, and no signature from the patient was obtained. Crucially, Dr. Kathuria failed to specify the timing of the injuries or the type of weapon involved, further deviating from protocol.
During the inquiry, Dr. Kathuria admitted to not preparing the MLR as required, instead submitting only a complaint (Ruka) to the authorities. He defended his actions by citing his training, claiming that any injury to a vital part was considered severe during his internship.
The problem was made worse by the fact that ASI Umesh Kumar, the investigating officer from the Sarabha Nagar police station, was unable to provide any documentation attesting to the extent of Daljit Singh's injuries. This lack of supporting data calls into question Dr. Kathuria's initial assessment.
Dr. Aulakh has responded to these facts with maximum determination. In addition to recommending that Dr. Kathuria's name be permanently removed from the medical registry, he has pushed the Punjab Medical Council (PMC) to file legal action against the physician.
(Input from various media sources)
(Rehash/Susmita Bhandary/MSM)
