MUMBAI, MARCH 27: Reputed forensic expert, Dr Pritam Phatnani retired as honorary professor of medicine at Sion Hospital In October 31. He has not been given an extension; yet, sources allege that Dr Phatnani continues to sign the attendance muster at the hospital as well as access confidential documents.Dr Phatnani was honorary professor and head of the forensic science department at Sion Hospital for 15 years. He is a medical graduate only and does not possess a post-graduate degree or any specialisation that qualifies him to be a post graduate teacher, allege sources. Therefore, the department has failed to get recognition from the Medical Council of India (MCI) as a post graduate centre and teaches only undergraduates.After Dr Phatnani's retirement, the administration proposed to appoint him as a medico-legal consultant to the hospital, which is not a teaching post,sources said. But Dr Phatnani has not yet signed the agreement that requires him to visit the hospital every day for a requisite number of hours. Instead, allege sources, he wants to be appointed without having to sign the agreement. The matter has now been referred to the law department of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. But even as uncertainity dogs Dr Phatnani's appointment, sources said that he continues to visit the department and even peruses the departmental papers and records, which are confidential.Even during his tenure as honorary professor, the performance of undergraduate students in forensic medicine has been poor for the last couple of years, claim sources. According to the students, this is because no regular lectures being held in this subject. Sources said that a full time qualified post graduate teacher is needed in the department to set up a teaching schedule for undergraduate students.The dean of Sion Hospital, Dr AR Fernandes admitted that Dr Phatnani could only be given an extension as a medico-legal consultant and not as a teacher for forensic medicine. ``But we need him because of the various medico-legal problems that keep coming up due to the abolishing of the coroners courts in Mumbai,'' she explained. Dr Fernandes also confirmed that Dr Phatnani's refusal to sign the agreement is being looked into by the law department, but asserted that she would make a case to get him appointed without the agreement.When asked how Dr Phatnani continued to sign the muster even before being appointed, Dr Fernandes said she had permitted him to do so. She admitted that giving an extension to a retired honorary professor contravenes the MCI recommendation of filling up vacant posts by appointing full time teachers. ``Even if he is not holding a post graduate degree, he is still experienced and is liked by all students,'' she asserted.Dr Phatnani admitted that under graduate students had complained to him about the lack of teaching schedules, but added that the situation had arisen only after his retirement. He pointed out that even without possessing a post graduate degree, he had set up the department of forensic medicine at JJ Hospital, and has been teaching at Sion Hospital for several years.
