Nine doctors suspended over alleged irregularities in clinical trials at Ahmedabad hospital

Ahmedabad, April 22 (IANS) Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has suspended nine doctors after allegations surfaced regarding serious irregularities in clinical trials conducted at the civic body-run V.S. Hospital, officials said on Tuesday.

The action follows claims that the doctors bypassed legal procedures and misappropriated funds meant for the hospital.

According to officials, instead of setting up a legally mandated Ethics Committee, the doctors formed an unofficial internal panel to carry out clinical trials.

The issue came to light after Congress Corporator Rajshree Kesari alleged that at least three patients had died over the past four years due to unauthorised clinical trials conducted on more than 500 patients at the hospital.

Following a preliminary probe, Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel confirmed that Dr. Rana and eight other doctors had been suspended.

"Normally, clinical trial income is split between doctors and the hospital. But in this case, the entire amount was pocketed by the doctors," Minister Patel said.

He added that while Dr. Rana was a permanent employee, the other eight were on contractual appointments.

Devang Rana, an MD in pharmacology, was appointed associate professor at the NHL Municipal Medical College and was appointed head of clinical trials at the V.S. Hospital in 2021.

The hospital's current Superintendent, Parul Shah, distanced herself from the controversy, saying that the trials began under her predecessor, Manish Patel.

An internal inquiry by the AMC is still underway, and further action will be taken based on its findings.

Over the years, Ahmedabad's V.S. Hospital has been embroiled in multiple controversies, highlighting systemic issues within the institution.

In 2013, the hospital faced a significant scandal involving the manipulation of receipt books.

Staff members were found to have artificially inflated charges on official receipts, pocketing the difference.

This malpractice came to light when missing receipt books spanning over two years were discovered, prompting an investigation by the AMC's Vigilance wing.

A decade later, in 2024, the hospital was implicated in an Rs 8 crore Provident Fund (PF) scam.

The PF Commissioner imposed a penalty on the institution due to unauthorised investments made by the then Medical Superintendent, S. Malhan.

Despite repeated demands for a police investigation, the matter was allowed to lapse, raising concerns about administrative accountability.

More recently, in 2025, a massive clinical trial scam was uncovered.

More than 500 patients were subjected to unauthorised drug trials conducted by a group of doctors in collaboration with more than 50 pharmaceutical companies.

These trials were carried out without proper ethical oversight, and payments from the companies were allegedly diverted into the personal accounts of the doctors involved.

--IANS

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