IMA suspends ex-RG Kar principal Sandip Ghosh's membership

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Wednesday suspended the membership of Sandip Ghosh, the controversial former principal of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata, where a junior doctor was found raped and murder on the morning of August 9 when Ghosh was in charge of the institute.

Ghosh is presently being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), both in connection with the ghastly rape and murder of the trainee doctor, and charges of financial irregularities at the hospital when he was at the helm of its affairs.

A communication was sent to Ghosh on Wednesday informing him about the decision of the IMA disciplinary committee to suspend him.

"The disciplinary committee of the IMA has unanimously decided to suspend you forthwith from the membership of the Indian Medical Association,” the communique read.

The letter also mentions that the West Bengal branch of the IMA and certain other doctors' associations too have demanded action against Ghosh citing “the nature of disrepute” brought by him to the profession as a whole.

According to the communique, even the parents of the victim junior doctor expressed their grievances against Ghosh to an IMA delegation that came to West Bengal earlier this month.

The parents of the victim, as per the letter, expressed dissatisfaction over Ghosh's handling of the case as well as his “lack of empathy and sensitivity” in dealing with the issue in an appropriate manner.

IMA became the second doctor’s body to suspend Ghosh.

On August 18, the West Bengal Orthopaedic Association (WBOA) announced its decision to remove Ghosh from all “academic activities under the banner” of the association after his name was dragged into the R.G. Kar case.

“You being the principal are supposed to be the local guardian of all the students and the PGTs (post-graduate trainees). The case has now been handed over to the CBI following the Calcutta High Court's direction, and you have been taken for questioning by the CBI officials about this heinous crime which occurred at your hospital. Until you come clean and the final verdict comes from the court, we are forced to keep you aside from all our academic activities under the banner of WBOA,” read the WBOA communique to Ghosh.