Fortis Doctor accused of wrong foot surgery cleared of charges

The Medical Council of India (MCI) has given a clean chit to Dr Ashwani Maichand, − the Fortis doctor − who was accused of laxity by the Delhi Medical Council in a case related to a wrong foot surgery in June 2016. The Council had handed a punishment to the doctor by removing his name from the IMR (Indian Medical Register) for 180 days in February, 2017.

This news was circulated by the media without any evidence and without waiting for a trail that resulted in the punishment. However, after thorough investigation conducted by the MCI, Dr Maichand was proved innocent.

The investigations revealed that the doctor wasn’t present in the operation theatre at the time of surgery. The Ethics Committee of MCI considered the case where the matter and the statements associated were recorded and produced for deliberation.

The committee asserted that the doctor was absent on the day of operation because of some personal reasons. The operation took place without Dr Ashwani Maichand. The committee also revealed that the original plan was to operate only on the right leg, so the doctor wasn’t aware of the change in decision, and he wasn’t contacted or sought for advice.

Considering all the evidences and facts, the committee concluded that no case can be made against Dr Ashwani Maichand.

The doctor was cleared of all the charges labeled against him, and the punishment handed by Delhi Medical Council was revoked as well. Dr Maichand has been allowed to practice his profession and he is legally free from all the restrictions.

However, this case is an example of how media circulates news without waiting for a formal hearing and final verdict. Without proper investigation, professional medics like Dr Ashwani Maichand have to face social embarrassment and bad repute. Many reputed doctors have been falsely implicated in the past. Hopefully, this case can serve as an example of not making mountains out of a molehill.