KGMU sacks senior doctor over pvt practice

Lucknow: Just three days before his retirement, KGMU on Saturday terminated the services of Prof AK Sachan, head of the department of pharmacology, on charges of indulging in private practice. The decision was taken by the executive council presided by vice-chancellor Prof Soniya Nityanand. KGMU spokesperson Prof KK Singh said the disciplinary committee's probe found Prof Sachan guilty, and the council was reportedly unsatisfied with his explanation.Earlier, on July 4, an emergency meeting of the EC approved a 180-page chargesheet and granted Prof Sachan six days to respond. He later sought additional time, which was denied during a subsequent emergency meeting on July 10. The meeting also saw participation of deputy registrar Dr Sandeep Bhattacharya, who stood in for registrar Archana Gaharwar.Dr Sachan called the allegations "completely false, baseless and fabricated," and claimed the action was taken with malicious intent to damage his reputation.According to officials, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) earlier launched an investigation into allegations that Dr Sachan possessed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. He was reportedly found guilty of engaging in private practice while serving as a public servant. The ED also found evidence that he was involved in unauthorized private medical practice while holding a full-time govt position — an act that constitutes criminal misconduct.In Feb 2023, the Allahabad High Court directed the medical education department and KGMU to take appropriate action against Dr Sachan.TNN