The Uttar Pradesh state government has been ordered by the Allahabad High Court to look into whether government-appointed physicians at medical schools are practicing privately in nursing homes and pharmacies. In a case involving Dr. Arvind Gupta, the department head and professor at Prayagraj’s Moti Lal Nehru Medical College, the court issued this order. The issue started when Rupesh Chandra Srivastava complained to the consumer forum about Dr. Gupta’s allegedly inadequate care at Phoenix Hospital, a private nursing home in Prayagraj.
The court acknowledged throughout its hearing the gravity of the accusation, which concerns a top medical professor who is allegedly practicing privately while employed by a state-run organization. The court’s main concern was whether Dr. Gupta could treat patients in a private nursing facility while working as a professor for the state. The court voiced concerns about whether state regulations allowed for this dual job as a private practitioner and public servant in a government-run medical college. This sparked discussions about ethics, potential conflicts of interest, and whether or not such actions could have an impact on the standard of care given at government facilities.
The issue was brought to the attention of the state consumer forum after Srivastava’s complaint claimed that Dr. Gupta had given him improper medical care. The petitioner’s attorney claimed that the ₹1890 in medical services that were the subject of the complaint was too small for the consumer forum to handle. The court stressed that the essential question was whether the actions of a government-employed physician practicing privately were compliant with legal and ethical norms, rather than merely the claim’s pecuniary component.
Additionally, the court ordered Uttar Pradesh’s senior secretary of medical education and health to investigate whether Dr. Gupta was permitted to work privately at Phoenix Hospital as the head of a department within a government organization. On January 8, 2025, the top court mandated that the matter be remanded for additional hearing. The court anticipates that the petitioner’s attorney will give a thorough explanation of Dr. Gupta’s role in the private hospital during this subsequent session.
This instance highlights more general worries about government physicians working in private practices and the moral ramifications of such dual employment. The legal issues pertaining to the professional behavior of medical personnel at state-run facilities are also brought to light.
SOURCE :
HINDUSTAN TIMES
