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The medical license of an Indian American physician has been permanently revoked for illegally recruiting and harbouring two Indian women to be household servants for low pay. Dr Harsha Sahni, who maintained a rheumatology practice in Colonia, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to conceal and harbour aliens and filing a false tax return last February. She is scheduled to begin serving a 27-month prison sentence handed down by a federal court judge in October 2024, Attorney General Matthew J Platkin and the Division of Consumer Affairs announced on Wednesday. Sahni had been temporarily suspended from the practice of medicine since September 2023, as the State pursued an administrative action to revoke her license in the wake of her criminal plea. The revocation announced today brings closure to a disturbing case in which a physician sworn to uphold the highest standards of care and compassion exploited and abused vulnerable victims for her own financial gain
The doctor-population ratio is 1:811 in the country which is better than the WHO standard of 1:1000, Union Health Minister J P Nadda informed the Lok Sabha on Friday. As per information provided by the National Medical Commission (NMC), there are 13,86,145 allopathic doctors registered with the State Medical Councils and the National Medical Commission (NMC) as on November, 2024, he said. "Assuming 80 per cent availability of registered allopathic doctors and around 6.14 lakh AYUSH doctors, the doctor-population ratio in the country is around 1:811 which is better than the WHO standard of 1:1000," Nadda said. The government has increased the number of medical colleges and subsequently increased MBBS seats, he said. The minister said there is an increase of 102 per cent in the medical colleges from 387 before 2014 to 780 as of now. Further, there is an increase of 130 per cent in MBBS seats from 51,348 before 2014 to 1,18,137 as of now and an increase of 135 per cent in PG seats fr
The Supreme Court on Friday said a doctor can be held liable for negligence only when there was no requisite qualification and skill, or a failure to exercise reasonable expertise during treatment. A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Pankaj Mithal said when reasonable care, expected of the medical professional, was extended or rendered to the patient unless contrary was proved, it would not be a case for actionable negligence. "A medical professional may be held liable for negligence only when he is not possessed with the requisite qualification or skill or when he fails to exercise reasonable skill which he possesses in giving the treatment," the bench said. The top court made the observations while setting aside an order of the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) which had held a doctor negligent. According to the complainant, their minor son was diagnosed with a congenital disorder in his left eye which required a minor surgery, which was performed in 1996
Doctors of government hospitals on Thursday demanded "justice for Abhaya", urging action in the ongoing fight for justice for a female doctor who was raped and murdered at a Kolkata hospital. The Delhi RDA Action Committee, an umbrella body of doctors from AIIMS, Safdarjung Hospital, RML Hospital, GTB Hospital, Maulana Azad Medical College, and Lady Hardinge Medical College, held a press conference to express solidarity with their protesting fellow doctors in the West Bengal capital. Apart from demands for "justice for Abhaya", the committee also emphasises the need for urgent measures to ensure safety of healthcare workers at hospitals across the country. The joint press conference took place this evening at the Dhanvantri Hostel of ABVIMS and Dr RML Hospital, where representatives from various Resident Doctors' Associations (RDAs) voiced their concerns over the increasing insensitivity of authorities towards the safety and security of healthcare professionals. GTB Hospital RDA .
Agitating junior doctors in West Bengal continued their fast-unto-death for the third consecutive day on Monday, demanding justice for the rape and murder of a woman medic of the RG Kar hospital and workplace safety even as the state government remained silent to address their issues. The medics also announced organising a rally in Kolkata from central Kolkata's College Square to Dharmatala at around 4.30 PM on Tuesday to press for their demands. "Tomorrow we will also be holding a symbolic hunger strike at all medical colleges and hospitals across the state. Representatives of various doctors' associations will take part in it. This will start at 9 AM Tuesday and will continue till 9 PM. We will also hold a rally in Kolkata. We, on behalf of the West Bengal Junior Doctors' Forum, invite all those who have been beside us since Day 1 of our protest," one junior medic said. Six junior medics have been on the fast-unto-death since Saturday evening and later one more joined them. Senio
One of two doctors charged in the investigation of the death of Matthew Perry is expected to plead guilty on Wednesday in a federal court in Los Angeles to conspiring to distribute the surgical anesthetic ketamine. Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, of San Diego, signed a plea agreement with prosecutors in August and would be the third person to plead guilty in the aftermath of the Friends star's fatal overdose last year. Prosecutors offered lesser charges to Chavez and two others in exchange for their cooperation as they go after two targets they deem more responsible for the overdose death: another doctor and an alleged dealer that they say was known as ketamine queen of Los Angeles. Chavez is free on bond after turning over his passport and surrendering his medical license, among other conditions. His lawyer Matthew Binninger said after Chavez's first court appearance on August 30 that he is incredibly remorseful and is trying to do everything in his power to right the wrong that happened ...
Junior doctors in West Bengal resumed an indefinite 'total cease work' on Tuesday, escalating protests over the state government's "failure" to address key demands including enhanced hospital security, a day after the Supreme Court emphasised the need for medics to perform essential duties. The junior doctors in West Bengal had partially resumed duties on September 21 after a 42-day protest over the rape and murder of a woman doctor at RG Kar Medical College on August 9. Following an all-night governing body meeting, they have resumed their strike on Tuesday just ahead of Durga Puja, crippling medical services across the state. Despite the state's acknowledgement of two demands - establishing a State-Level Redressal Committee and reconstitution of Patient Welfare Committees at hospitals by Tuesday evening - junior doctors deemed these measures insufficient. As junior doctors resumed their agitation ahead of Durga Puja, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a veiled appeal to the medic
The West Bengal Junior Doctors' Front on Wednesday alleged that the state government has taken back its permission to allow them to hold a convention on September 27 to discuss the future roadmap for their movement for justice for the RG Kar rape-murder victim. The agitating medics withdrewn their 11-day sit-in before state health department headquarters Swasthya Bhawan last week and partially rejoined emergency and essential services at state-run hospitals after talks with the state government. However, on Wednesday, after a meeting with representatives from 26 state-run and private medical colleges, the medics alleged that false cases have been slapped against those who have expressed solidarity with their movement and joined democratic protests demanding the "clean-up" of the healthcare system and arrest of all those involved in the crime. "The administration is apparently pursuing a vindictive attitude even after we showed intention and flexibility to end the deadlock. Over one
Delhi government has introduced a one-year mandatory service bond for medical students passing out from All India Quota and State Quota in both undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) programs from medical institutions in Delhi. Under this new regulation, students graduating from undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including super-speciality programs, will be required to serve for one year in medical institutions under the Government of the National Capital Territory (GNCT) of Delhi, according to the order issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department of the Delhi Government (GNCTD). At the time of admission, UG students will have to furnish a bond of Rs 15 lakh, while PG and super-specialty students will submit a bond of Rs 20 lakh. These bonds will be forfeited if a student opts out of the mandatory service period, as stated in the GNCTD order. The scheme will ensure that UG pass-outs are placed in Junior Resident (JR) positions, while PG pass-outs will be assigned Senio