Although Delhi HC division bench headed by the Chief Justice called on Jan 6, 2016 the PIL filed by PBT (W.P. No. 9597/2015; People for Better Treatment vs. MCI &Ors.), which was listed for ORDER, the court simply adjourned the matter to 8th February, 2016 without passing any order. The principal prayer in this PIL has been to direct MCI and Union of India to take appropriate steps to prevent disgraced ex-MCI president, Dr. Ketan Desai, from assuming the prestigious post of the president of World Medical Association (WMA) which he is expected to take over in October, 2016. The primary allegations in this case involve top IMA and MCI officials deliberately provided false and fabricated information to the WMA in order to make Dr. Desai president-elect of this international world medical body in order to rebuild Dr. Desai’s badly tainted public image and to bring him back at the helm of Indian healthcare.
This PIL was strenuously argued on 9th October, 2015 by senior advocate, Mr. M.N.Krishnaani, on behalf of PBT, after Govt. of India, MCI and IMA all raised the issue of “maintainability” in support of Dr. Desai as the court reserved the case for ORDER to be delivered on 2nd November, 2015. When 2nd November came, the PIL was further adjourned to 6th January, 2016 without any further hearing and yesterday (Jan 6), this important matter was again adjourned to 8th February, 2016.
PBT is particularly concerned with the present developments with this PIL due to the fact that only few months are left before the disgraced Dr. Desai, still with a suspended medical registration, would be put to the coveted post of WMA president unless this writ petition is allowed and MCI and Govt. of India take necessary measures to stop Dr. Desai. If time runs out and Delhi HC fails to make any decision before Dr. Desai becomes WMA president in October, the entire PIL would become totally infructuous. That would be a true travesty of justice for the entire nation and would send a wrong message to the hapless patients of India.
