Several medical bodies and doctors' associations on April 17 sought reinstatement of a doctor -- a Diplomate of National Board (DNB) trainee at a civic hospital-- who was terminated from his services for an alleged misconduct.

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Piyush Pushkar Singh, a doctor, who was terminated by authorities at the NDMC's Hindu Rao Hospital on April 15 with immediate effect, has denied the allegation, saying, "if I have done anything wrong, let them prove it".

The North Delhi Municipal Commissioner on April 16 claimed he was terminated for allegedly diverting donated materials which were to be entered in the stock of the facility.

Doctors' groups including the Delhi Medical Association (DMA) and the Medicos and Scientists Forum (PMSF) have demanded that Singh be reinstated and a "proper inquiry be conducted" into the alleged incident.

Meanwhile, the Union Health Minister on Twitter said he has spoken to the NDMC Commissioner on the phone in connection with the issue. "I have just spoken on the phone & asked that the aggrieved doctor be called to resolve the issue. Pl wait for her action. I'm sure she will take appropriate redressal steps," he wrote in response to a tweet in connection with the alleged incident. "I appreciate your concern for the medical community. I shall ascertain the facts tomorrow and take adequate steps," he tweeted.

The Municipal Commissioner had said on April 16 that Singh was only a DNB student under a senior doctor in the orthopaedic department. A probe was not required because "all the facts are established on record," she had claimed. DNB is the title awarded by the National Board of Examinations (NBE), an autonomous academic body under the Union Health Ministry.

The NBE in a letter to the medical superintendent of the hospital on April 17 said "disciplinary proceedings against him (Singh) have not been been taken up before the Grievance Redressal Committee, which is essential requirement for NBE to address such issues, thereby, resulting in a serious procedural lapse". It also said that it seems the principles of "natural justice have been ignored" in arriving at the decision of his termination. Also, the penalty of termination levied upon Singh "does not appear to be commensurate with the alleged misconduct on his part," the NBE letter said. "It is hereby directed to cancel the termination order with immediate effect" and allow him to resume his DNB training, and intimate to NBE latest by April 20, the letter added.

The DMA in a statement on April 17, while seeking revocation of the termination order, also said it has written letters to the Delhi chief minister, health minister and the Lt Governor, requesting to constitute an inquiry. The official order issued by the Medical Superintendent of the Hindu Rao Hospital on April 15 had said the doctor had been "terminated from his services with immediate effect for bringing disrepute to the institution".

AIIMS Resident Doctors' Association in a statement on April 17 said it has written to the Union Health Minister telling him that such actions against healthcare workers would only "demoralise them especially in a situation where there is a scarcity of professionals" in the time of coronavirus pandemic.

Hindu Rao Hospital administration should "exercise restraint and conduct a genuine enquiry into this issue and let the justice prevail," it said. In a series of tweets on April 16, the Municipal Commissioner alleged that the DNB student "diverted donated materials which were to be entered in the stock of HRH by directly entering into correspondence with the donor agency which was already being communicated with by the MS". "He then proceeded to distribute the materials himself to whoever he pleased," she said in the tweet.

The PMSF demanded that Singh should be reinstated forthwith without any adverse consequences to his service record. "An inquiry be constituted into the circumstances of action taken by the Commissioner of North Delhi Municipal Corporation and responsibility be fixed for the same," it said.