Pune Mirror
19 February 2009
By Chaitraly Deshmukh

On April 20, 2008 the Pune Mirror reported the death of a premature baby boy who was operated in KEM hospital and died while the doctor held a press conference. The child’s grandfather, Kumodchandra Hemade (66), made official complaints to the Medical Council of India (MCI) and the MMC against Dr Thakur and administrators of KEM Hospital. Now the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) has charged Dr Nityanand Thakur under professional conduct, etiquette and ethics sections of the Indian Medical Council Regulations, 2002. They have directed him to submit documents and witnesses with an affidavit of evidence.

On August 4, 2008 directed the state MMC to investigate and take necessary action against Dr Thakur and the administrator within six months under clause 8.4 of the Indian Medical Council within six months.

According to Hemade’s plaint, the child was born on March 16, 2008 at Ratna hospital. As the baby was premature, he had aspiration pneumonia and his blood oxygen never normalised. The child was shifted to KEM hospital on March 17 as it had better equipment.

He also added that the doctor hurriedly called a press conference on April 2 and also mentioned that parents of the child would attend the press meet. Hemade, in his plaint, wanted to know the need of a press conference. He also said that the interview and video shooting of the baby, post operation, was telecast on television for publicity. Though the child had an infection, the administrator and doctor were busy with a press meet instead of tending to him.