Suspension of college union chief withdrawn
KOZHIKODE: Government Medical College management agreed to withdraw suspension of Students Union chairman P. Ameen Abdulla, who allegedly “misbehaved” with the principal while leading a strike by students demanding withdrawal of a decision of Hospital Development Society (HDS) asking city police commissioner to look into allegations of sedition raised in connection with an address by Dr Kafeel Khan at the campus some 10 months back.
This follows talks between Minister for Health KK Shylaja, college management representatives, and student leaders here on Saturday.
Dr Kafeel Khan, who was suspended from service by Utar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for bringing to light deaths of more than 80 infants due to lack of oxygen cylinders at a state-run hospital in Gorakhpur.
At the interactive session, Dr Khan narrated how he could bring some 20 oxygen cylinders by spending from his pocket to save the lives of infants at Baba Raghav Das Medical College, Gorakhpur.
Student leaders agreed to tender apology for unruly behaviour during strike last Wednesday and the college management agreed to revoke the disciplinary action. Students, however, made it clear they would continue their protest until HDS withdrew the decision seeking an investigation by city police commissioner into allegations of sedition against Dr Kafeel Khan.
A private television channel had telecast a news report, terming the session with Dr Kafeel Khan held at Learning Resource Centre (LRC) on May 13, 2018, as an ‘anti-national’ activity.
The demand for a probe was first raised by BJP Kozhikode district president TP Jayachandran and was backed by a majority of the HDS members including ruling Communist Party of India - Marxist (CPIM) district secretary P. Mohanan Master.
On march 7, principal drvrraje nd ran suspended college union chairman Ameen Abdulla ater a series of enquiry and protests in the medical college.
Reacting to the controversy, Dr Khan said that the High Court had rejected all charges raised against him on the oxygen tragedy (2017 Gorakhpur hospital deaths) by Yogi Adityanath government. He denied there are sedition charges against him.
“The talk was just an interaction with medical students. Just to tell them, even if they are doctors, their main responsibility is to treat patients, not administrative responsibilities of the hospitals. Doctors are humans first. So, I just motivated them.”