A government doctor in Jalaun, Uttar Pradesh, came under scrutiny after a video showed him reportedly making a five-year-old boy smoke a cigarette to “treat” a cold, an official said on Wednesday.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Narendra Dev Sharma informed that the accused, Dr Suresh Chandra, a BAMS doctor posted at the Central Health Centre (CHC) in Kuthaund area of Jalaun district, has been transferred, and a probe has been ordered against him.
In a video that was recorded and has now gone viral on social media, the doctor can be seen asking the boy to put a cigarette to his mouth. The doctor then lights the cigarette up and asks the boy several times to take a puff of it.
According to officials familiar with the matter, the incident took place on March 28 when the boy’s parents brought him to the hospital for a cold, Hindustan Times reported.
The parents were initially told to have their son smoke a cigarette, as the doctor claimed it would help ease his cough and make him feel better. He did not formally prescribe it. However, when the parents mentioned that the cigarette was unavailable in their remote area, the doctor reportedly said he had one and allegedly charged the family Rs 100 for it, HT quoted an official as saying.
CMO Dr Narendra Dev Sharma said that a detailed report will be submitted to the state government. “This kind of incident will not be tolerated in the district. We have issued strict instructions to prevent such occurrences in future,” said Sharma.
The CMO added that the doctor had earlier been removed from the Kuthaund centre following complaints of misconduct. “Chandra had already been removed from his post due to a complaint of physical assault. The cigarette video has now also been taken into account. An inquiry has been handed over to the ACMO, and a letter is being sent to the state government recommending strict action against the doctor,” he said.
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