Checking nationality cops’ job: BMC doctor suspended in birth certificates case

Mumbai: Nearly a fortnight after BMC suspended a third medical officer of health (MOH) over alleged irregularities in birth certificates issued during his tenure, he asked the civic administration on Tuesday to revoke his suspension, claiming that the allegations against him are false and that action was taken before completion of the inquiry.This is the first time that a medical officer has come out against the ongoing investigation in the case.In a letter addressed to additional municipal commissioner Dr Vipin Sharma, the doctor said he had served BMC since 2009 and had worked across multiple wards, including B, C, E, N and L, apart from handling responsibilities as a sub-registrar for birth and death registrations.Referring to the inquiry initiated against him, the doctor maintained that he had not issued any illegal birth or death certificate or provided unlawful assistance in any case.He said there is no civic circular stating that no corrections should be done in the SAP system. A recent probe report tabled before the BMC chief had said MOHs in several wards were making corrections to birth-death records not only in the mandatory civil registration system for birth and death registration portal but also in the old SAP system (BMC’s internal system)—a violation of the guidelines of Registrar General of India.

Alleging that he was being unfairly targeted, the doctor said, “Any woman who comes to a govt or BMC hospital is attended to by doctors, and deliveries are conducted as per our medical oath. We cannot discriminate against patients based on religion or nationality. There is no agency at any govt or private hospital that verifies whether parents are Indian citizens or from another country. The same documents submitted by hospitals are forwarded to the MOH office for issuance of a birth certificate.

There is also no agency at the MOH office that re-checks the nationality of parents. The MOH issues birth certificates based on the documents received. In such a system, why is the MOH being targeted or suspended on the basis of false charges related to fake certificates? It is the responsibility of police to verify the nationality of individuals, not BMC doctors, who are already handling multiple responsibilities.”The officer’s suspension came amid an ongoing probe into alleged fake birth certificates issued in various civic wards following complaints raised by former MP Kirit Somaiya from BJP over irregularities in the M-East ward.