Kanpur hospital driver allegedly saw OPD patients; probe ordered

A driver at a government hospital in Kanpur allegedly examined patients and wrote prescriptions in the out-patient department while the doctor he works for was away attending a court hearing, a senior health official said on Friday.

The matter came to light after a video circulated on social media on Wednesday, purportedly showing a man seated in an OPD room at Kanshiram Hospital near Rama Devi Chauraha, talking to patients and writing prescriptions.

Hospital authorities identified the man as Dev, the driver of emergency medical officer Ramkesh. Staff said Ramkesh was attending a court hearing at the time of the alleged incident.

Chief Medical Officer Haridatt Nemi said a three-member committee headed by Chief Medical Superintendent Piyush Mishra has been constituted to conduct a detailed inquiry. "We took serious cognisance of the matter after it came to our notice," Nemi said.

The committee will look into whether Dev examined patients in the OPD, prescribed medicines, and whether he had done so on earlier occasions as well. It has been asked to submit its report within three days.

The driver has since been removed from the hospital, an official said. Authorities are also examining how he gained access to the OPD, how many patients he attended and whether he prescribed medicines to them.

Mishra has sought an explanation from Ramkesh and filed a written complaint against the driver at Chakeri police station. He said an inspection was carried out at the hospital on Tuesday, a day before the video surfaced, but no outsider was found at the time.

"The committee will examine the video and other relevant facts before fixing responsibility," Mishra told reporters.