Medical don Ketan Desai is no more a doctor

By Dinesh C Sharma, Mail Today, October 11, 2010

Dr Ketan Desai – the kingpin of medical education mafia in India – has lost the right to practice as a medical cialis.

The extreme step against the sacked President of Medical Council of India (MCI) was taken by the Board of Governors of the council on Saturday, following recommendation made by its Ethics Committee.

The council decided to suspend the license of Desai and debar him from practicing as a doctor or attending any national or international conference as a doctor with immediate effect, according to the two-page order sent to Desai at his Ahmedabad residence. The action against Desai has been taken under the Professional Conduct Regulations 2002.

“In view of the serious and grave allegations against you having prima facie merit, permission granted to you to practice medicine has been suspended during the pendency of the complaint”, the order said.

The complaint against Desai was filed by US-based patient rights activist Dr Kunal Saha seeking cancellation of Desai’s license. Dr Saha had first filed the complaint with the Gujarat Medical Council (GMC) soon after Desai’s arrest in April this year. Since GMC did not take any action against Desai, Saha appealed to MCI. As per GMC website, Desai continues to be its President.

Desai was arrested in April this year by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) while he was accepting a bribe of Rupees two crore from management of a medical college in Punjab. Last week he filed an application in the court of CBI Special judge O P Saini, seeking permission to travel to Canada to attend the annual meeting of the World Medical Association (WMA) scheduled to begin on October 13 at Vancouver. He was granted the permission and released on bail. Ironically, Desai is to take over as President of the world body.

Moving swiftly, the Board of Governors at MCI wrote to CBI as well as the health ministry to prevent Desai from leaving the country. The council has also written to WMA authorities. Now WMA has been told of the council’s latest decision to cancel Desai’s license.

“The right place for Desai is CBI custody and he has no business roaming overseas as a free man. He is a disgrace for the medical community around the world”, commented Saha, who heads Kolkata-based group People for Better Treatment (PBT). Saha has also served a legal notice to WMA for having invited a criminal doctor to attend its meeting.