Doctor gets show cause notice for alleged misinformation creating panic
Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) health department has issued a show cause notice to an infectious disease expert doctor for allegedly spreading misinformation creating panic amongst the public, officials said.
The notice was issued to Dr Ameet Dravid at Noble Hospital, Hadapsar on Monday. It is alleged that the doctor delayed in notifying infectious disease cases for the civic body to conduct timely surveillance and containment activities.
According to the civic officials, a news report was published on October 1 about a suspected case of West Nile Virus (WNV) at Noble Hospital.
The notice issued by PMC health officer Dr Nina Borade to Dr Dravid, reads, “In the news article, your opinion was published, where it was mentioned that this was the first such case identified in the past five years. However, the said patient had been receiving treatment for fever, body aches, and joint pain since September 1, 2024. Despite the patient being tested positive for West Nile Fever in the tropical fever panel test, the information was conveyed late to PMC, which resulted in delay in sending blood samples of the patient’s close contacts to NIV (National Institute of Virology) and conducting anti-mosquito measures and fogging at the location.”
According to officials, samples of four persons, including the suspected 48-year-old male, his 47-year-old wife and 16-year-old and 7-year-old daughters, were sent to the NIV on October 1, and the results were negative for the infection.
It also mentioned that a notice was issued to Nobel Hospital in May 2024 also regarding the delay of three weeks to report Zika virus-positive cases.
“On September 23, 2024, your opinion was published in a news article under the headline, ‘New Mutation of Chikungunya: A Strain with Paralysis, Blackened Nose, and Symptoms Similar to Dengue Detected in Pune’. However, the information was provided to the media without notifying PMC, which created significant public panic,” the latest notice stated.
Dr Rajesh Dighe, assistant health officer, PMC, said, “In all the three instances, it appears that Dr Dravid intentionally withheld information from the health authorities, causing unnecessary public alarm to gain publicity. When the health department requested information about patients with severe symptoms of chikungunya in letters sent on September 23 and September 30, no response has been received till date from the doctor.”
Dr Dighe said a written explanation has been sought within two days of receiving the notice as to why action should not be taken for violating the Epidemic Diseases Act and why no proceedings should be initiated against the doctor with the Maharashtra Medical Council.
“Response to the PMC notice is awaited,” he said.
Dr Dravid said reply to the notice will be given to PMC in the next couple of days and the intention to share the information with the media was to create public awareness and not panic.
“A private lab confirmed the patients tested positive for WNV and it is their responsibility also to notify it to PMC. We had notified to the government about the case,” he said, adding that if the civic body doesn’t consider cases from private labs, all samples should be sent to NIV or cases that test positive at private labs should be validated by NIV.
“I have the responsibility of treating patients and the responsibility to notify cases is on the hospital and not the doctor. Yet, the notice has been issued to me,” he said.
Dr HK Sale, executive director, Noble Hospital, “The notification about cases is done on the portal handled by the state government who later informs the respective local body. We don’t send all samples to NIV. However, I will discuss it with the respective doctor and take required action.”
