Indian Medical Association (IMA) headquarters in Delhi withheld its decision to announce the suspension order served to Dr Birupakshma Biswas as ‘illegal’.

With this decision of the IMA headquarters, the suspension order issued earlier by the Kolkata branch of the association will remain effective.

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The Kolkata branch had suspended Dr Biswas on charge of several serious allegations starting from unleashing ‘threat culture’ in state government medical colleges leveled against him by agitating junior doctors after the brutal rape and murder of the woman postgraduate trainee doctor at R G Kar Hospital.

But the IMA headquarters last week had announced that the Kolkata branch’s decision to suspend Dr Biswas was ‘illegal’ because the latter has no rights to take such steps against the medic without taking clearance from the headquarters.

On Monday, the headquarters said that its earlier decision to announce the suspension order on Dr Biswas as ‘illegal’ has been put on hold.

IMA’s national president Dr R V Asokan has reportedly written a letter to its general secretary Dr Anil Kumar J Nayak stating that Dr Sarbari Dutta, IMA Kolkata branch head, has informed several facts drawing attention of the headquarters of the body. After considering the facts given by Dr Dutta the headquarters has decided to withhold its decision to announce his suspension order ‘illegal’. The disciplinary committee of the IMA headquarters will look into the matter and take decision on Dr Biswas.

Last week, the West Bengal Medical Council had decided to retain memberships of two doctors – Aveek Dey and Dr Biswas in the council amidst strong protests made by the doctors belonging to West Bengal Junior Doctors Front (WBJDF) and Joint Platform of Doctors (JPF), a body of senior medics.

Dr Dey, a PGT of SSKM Hospital, and Dr Biswas attached with Bardhaman Medical College Hospital, were members of the penal and ethics committee of the WBMC. They were asked not to attend the meeting of the committee soon after allegations of corruption in connection with the medical examination process and unleashing threat culture in government teaching hospitals were leveled against them.

Dr Biswas was not available for comment.