Where is the heroic Gorakhpur Dr. Kafeel now?

The 70 children who lost their lives in the BRD Hospital in Gorakhpur last August due to lack of Oxygen, a life saving drug in the Acute Encephalitis wards are now all forgotten in public memory.The heroic doctor/ paediatrician, Dr. Kafeel Ahmed who saved many lives on that fateful day now has his fate sealed. He is now accused of not informing his seniors in time, of taking leave without proper permission, of running a private practice against norms and for the last six months he is in jail, without any access to legal bail for his release.

The aftermath of the tragedy

Dr. Kafeel was included in a FIR filed against nine persons by the Uttar Pradesh state government and was arrested later by the Special Task Force(STF) constituted for the purpose. This was followed by a high profile enquiry by the District Magistrate and then by the Chief Secretary.

In September last year, Dr. Kafeel Ahmed was arrested, along with two other doctors. He was initially lodged with them, but after two days was shifted into the general criminal ward. Sources said that recent attempts to meet him have been futile. Khan has been unable to meet visitors in recent days with the excuse that he is “suffering from high hypertension and not well.”

The Chief Minister who recently lost the prestigious Gorakhpur seat in the bypolls is believed to have been furious with the paediatrician for his role in the tragedy. In his visit to the BRD hospital last year after the loss of lives, he had warned, “You think by getting cylinders from outside you have saved lives and are a hero, we will see about that.”

This is in tune with the U. P government’s policy of freeing the offenders and jailing the saviours. In this case Dr. Kafeel as hero was unacceptable by the Yogi government.