A leader among the junior doctors in the forefront of the protests following the rape and murder at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital was on Thursday accused of misrepresenting his degree during private practice.
A large police team went to Asfakulla Naiya’s house in a South 24-Parganas’ Kakdwip and conducted a search and seizure operation.
A section of doctors in Calcutta alleged that Naiya was being targeted for having led the protests last year.
Cops said the operation was conducted following a complaint lodged with the Bidhannagar commissionerate alleging Naiya practised as an ENT specialist at a private medical clinic in Hooghly without the necessary qualifications.
The search operation came after the West Bengal Medical Council slapped a show-cause notice on the junior doctor.
The show-cause notice said Naiya possessed an MBBS degree. Since he was pursuing postgraduation in ENT, he could not claim to be a practising ENT surgeon, it said.
“As per Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, Chapter -7 (7. MISCONDUCT) under point 7.20 — a physician shall not claim to be specialist unless he has a special qualification in the branch... unless he/she possesses such postgraduate degree or diploma in that particular discipline/branch and any such posing/pretending on the part of a physician in this regard are using of any unrecognised postgraduate qualification (s) for personal gain shall infamous professional misconduct rendering him/her level for disciplinary action,” the notice read.
It directed Naiya to turn up at the medical council within seven days.
The West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Association had first complained about Naiya’s alleged claim showing a picture where his degree was mentioned as “MS” on a banner of a healthcare facility in Hooghly. The association complained to the chief secretary about this.
On Thursday, Naiya said: “Bidhannagar Police needn’t have turned up a with huge force at my house. I’m here in the city. Let lakhs of police come and arrest me if they can... I’m being targeted because I raised my voice in protest. Instead of reaching me at RG Kar hospital, barely a few kilometres from Bidhannagar, a team went to my house almost 200km away.”