A fire had broken out at the hospital in which patients, attendants and staff were burnt alive
Three doctors working with the state government and suspended for lapses in the inspection of a private hospital in Jabalpur district, were later tasked with inspecting nine other hospitals in the same city. In March, the three had inspected the New Life Multispecialty Hospital in Jabalpur's Damoh, where a fire less than six months later cost eight lives.
A fire had broken out at the hospital on August 1, in which patients, attendants and staff were burnt alive. Eighteen people got injured.
In their inspection report of March, Dr Nishedh Chaudhary, Dr LN Patel (anesthesiologists at Jabalpur District Hospital) and Dr Kamlesh Verma (Pediatrician at Jabalpur District Hospital) had found no shortcomings. They had even okayed a non-existent blood bank.
Investigations after the fire revealed that the provisional fire safety No Objection Certificate of the hospital had expired on March 2 -- days before the inspection.
But Dr Kamlesh Verma -- who headed the Nursing Home section of the health department in Jabalpur district at the time -- did not seal the hospital or put in a recommendation to cancel its registration. It contributed much to the killer inferno of August 1, investigators have said.
In view of the lapses, the medical authorities proposed their suspension on August 2.
But few hours later, the same official --- Chief Medical Health Officer Dr Ratnesh Kurariya -- included the them in a team of 45 doctors tasked with inspecting 136 other hospitals and nursing homes in Jabalpur.
"It is quite shocking the manner in which the proceedings have been conducted," said the Madhya Pradesh High Court, which is hearing a petition on the fire.
"When orders of suspension are proposed, on the same day the very persons are made members of a (another) committee to inquire into the very issue for which they are being suspended," added the division bench of Chief Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice DK Paliwal.
The court has asked the state's Deputy Advocate General to file an affidavit on the issue.
The Joint Director (Health) Dr Sanjay Mishra, justified the inclusion of the doctors.
"The doctors were included in the committee of 45 doctors for inspecting 136 hospitals as there was shortage of manpower. The inspection exercise started on August 3 and had to be completed in a short span," he told NDTV.
"The three doctors weren't tasked with inspecting the New Life Multi Specialty Hospital where the killer fire had happened, but were asked to inspect other hospitals, which they did and submitted their report within three days," he added.