Kolkata, Jan 16, 2025, IANS

Kolkata, Jan 16 (IANS) Asfakullah Naiya, one of the leading faces of the junior doctors’ movement against the 2024 rape and murder of a woman doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, has been slapped with a show-cause notice by the West Bengal Medical Council. The show-cause notice, a copy of which is available with IANS, has been issued based on a complaint against Naiya for practising as an ENT specialist at a private medical service provider in the state, despite not possessing the necessary qualification for the same. In the show-cause notice, the state medical council registrar Manas Chakraborty has pointed out that since Naiya’s current qualification is the basic degree of M.B.B.S. and he is undergoing post-graduation with specialisation in ENT specialist, he could not claim himself to be practising ENT surgeon. “As per Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, Chapter -7 (7. MISCONDUCT) under point 7.20 -- a physician shall not claim to be specialist unless he has a special qualification in the branch. And thus -- no physician can claim himself/herself a specialist and/or practice as specialist in any discipline/branch unless he/she possesses such postgraduate degree or diploma in that particular discipline/branch and any such posing/pretending on the part of a physician in this regard are using of any unrecognised postgraduate qualification (s) for personal gain shall infamous professional misconduct rendering him/her level for disciplinary action," the show-cause notice read. In the show-cause notice, Naiya has also been directed to visit Chakraborty within seven days from the receipt of the letter along with all documents based on which he had been practising “unauthorised” ENT qualification. In the notice, he has also been cautioned that in the event of his failure to turn up with the necessary documents as directed by the state medical council registrar, disciplinary action will be initiated against him. The body of the woman doctor was recovered from the seminar hall of R.G. Kar on the morning of August 9, 2024. What followed was a series of movements by the representatives of the medical fraternity in the state and common people where Naiya was seen to be a leading face. The verdict in the rape and murder case is scheduled to be pronounced on January 18 at a special court in Kolkata.