A government doctor and a nurse from Saurashtra’s largest civil hospital — Guru Govind Singh Hospital in Jamnagar — have been booked on charges of carrying out illegal drug trials using health department resources.

According to the police, illegal clinical trials were carried out on patients over a period of six months at the Jamnagar hospital by Dr Amul Bhattacharya, nurse Aruna Bhatt and two others, probably at the behest of a private drug firm.

The Jamnagar city police, after receiving a call from the hospital authorities, registered a complaint against Dr Bhattacharya, Aruna Bhatt and two unidentified persons in early hours of Friday. The complaint has been lodged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code pertaining to cheating and fraud.

While it is not clear what the drug trials were meant for and how many patients were subjected to these trials, Dr Bhattacharya, who is now posted at Baroda Medical College, has admitted that an inquiry in the case is going on.

The complaint says the four accused, some time before February 9, broke open the sealed cabin of Dr Bhattacharya in the medical ward of G G Hospital, and decamped with the evidences in the case. It included two fax machines and three computers kept for research purpose and other documents like forged papers of drugs to the tune of Rs 40,000.

This 10x10 square feet cabin, with an anti-chamber of equal size, which reportedly also accommodated three computer operators on behalf of the drug company, had been sealed in February after the hospital authorities came to know of the illegal activities. Where and what Bhattacharya did before February 9 is not known.

The hospital authorities, however, have not specified the name of the private drug company in the FIR.

The police said doctors, under the pretext of one Human Research Action Committee, administered drug trials on the patients at the 180-bed medical ward. Dr Bhattacharya was the in-charge of the ward. Dr Bhattacharya, an alumnus of the Baroda Medical College, had joined the hospital two years ago.

Investigating Officer G Kuwadia said: “It’s a case of illegal clinical research. The patients were kept in dark about what they were subjected to. For them, it was medication prescribed by the doctor. The investigation is yet to reveal the name of the company, the process of the clinical research, and the people involved in it.”

The reports said the matter surfaced some time back when the objectives of the Human Research Action Committee were questioned. In fact, some staff members of the hospital had raised the issue claiming that lives of unsuspecting patients had been put on stake to benefit a private company’s research. After a brief internal inquiry, the matter was handed over to the local police on Friday.

“We have not been given the drug company’s name by the hospital authority,” said Inspector P Modi with the B-Division police where the complaint has been lodged.

While hospital Superintendent B D Gupta could not be contacted, the police said they have not yet arrested the doctor to take investigation further.

Director, Medical Education, Dr P Vithlani, said, “The department has received a report against Dr Bhattacharya from the G G Hospital. An inquiry will be conducted and necessary steps will be taken.”

He, however, pleaded ignorance about the whereabouts of Dr Bhattacharya, who was transferred to the Baroda Medical College a fortnight ago. A T Levua, Dean, Baroda Medical College, confirmed his transfer.

Hospital authorities found napping

According to the police report, Dr Bhattacharya had been using two fax machines, three computers and services of three operators, all illegally, to support his clinical research work from his cabin at a medical ward in the G G Hospital.

The authorities, however, couldn’t come to know about the nature of the research being undertaken by the doctor for six months, until an alarm was raised by other staff members.

Though, according to reports, Dr Bhattacharya made an illegal entry to his cabin before February 9, which had been sealed, and went away with the evidences. A complaint in this regard was lodged on April 3.

Besides, the authorities have not specified for whom Dr Bhattachrya had been conducting the research.

‘Health department knew about the research’

When contacted, Dr Amul Bhattacharya said the Department of Health was aware of the drug trial that was undertaken by him for a private company. But he refused to divulge any other information.