Patna: A fresh wave of controversy has engulfed Bihar’s Muzaffarpur rape case after health officials issued a show-cause notice to the wrong doctor, leading to protests at the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH).
The health department had sought clarifications from several doctors following the submission of a probe report on Monday by a committee headed by the state’s Director of Health. However, in a case of mistaken identity, a postgraduate doctor from the ENT department, Preeti Kumari, was served the notice, despite having no involvement in the case. The intended recipient was reportedly a doctor from the paediatrics department with a similar name.
The error sparked uproar on Tuesday afternoon when junior doctors marched to the offices of the principal and the hospital superintendent, demanding accountability for the mix-up. At least four junior doctors were seen confronting officials, calling the notice an example of systemic carelessness and harassment.
The department has also sought responses from Dr Bhupendra Narayan, head of the paediatrics department, and Dr Omar Abdullah of the surgery department. Notices were issued by the special task officer of the health department.
Doctors named in the probe have questioned the department’s process and demanded a review of CCTV footage to verify the presence of the hospital superintendent, IS Thakur, on the day of the incident. IS Thakur has maintained that he was on leave, though several staff members have claimed otherwise.
