Doctor Suspended Over Alleged Drinking In Post-Mortem Room
The matter came to light after a citizen waiting overnight outside the hospital for a death certificate peered into the post-mortem room and found the doctor seemingly drunk.
Mumbai: The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has suspended Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial (YCM) Hospital’s medical officer for allegedly consuming alcohol in the hospital’s post-mortem room. The action was taken after a video of the drinking session went viral. The incident occurred while grieving family members waited outside the hospital through the night to collect a death certificate.
Following the incident on Thursday night, Dr Vaibhav Avinash Mhaske was suspended with immediate effect pending a departmental inquiry.
The matter came to light after a citizen waiting overnight outside the hospital for a death certificate peered into the post-mortem room and found the doctor seemingly drunk. The incident gained widespread attention after a clip went viral on social media, showing a table laid out with food and a liquor bottle. The video sparked outrage over the alleged consumption of alcohol on hospital premises.
Additional Commissioner Kuldeep Jangam took cognisance of the matter and initially issued a notice to the doctor and the staff concerned, asking them to submit a written explanation by evening. However, citing the seriousness of the allegations and concerns over patient safety and medical ethics, Municipal Commissioner Vijay Suryavanshi ordered Mhaske’s suspension the following day.
YCM Hospital is a major government multi-specialty tertiary care teaching hospital located in Pimpri, Pune. Named after Yashwantrao Chavan, Maharashtra’s first Chief Minister, it serves as the healthcare backbone for the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) industrial belt and the surrounding rural areas.
The hospital administration said the doctor’s conduct directly violated Maharashtra Civil Services rules. A charge sheet will be issued within 15 days, following which the departmental inquiry will be completed.
Mhaske is barred from leaving Pimpri headquarters during his suspension. He has also been prohibited from taking up any other employment or business while the suspension remains in force.