New Delhi: Nearly a decade after a child allegedly suffered severe and irreversible brain damage during treatment at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi High Court has ordered a fresh inquiry into the qualifications of two doctors after the child’s family moved a contempt petition alleging non-compliance with earlier court directions by officials of the National Medical Commission (NMC).Appearing for the family, senior advocate Dayan Krishnan argued that despite previous court orders, authorities failed to give a clear determination on whether the qualifications claimed by the two doctors entitled them to practise as specialists in neonatal care in India.Taking note of the plea, the HC directed the secretary of the NMC and the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to conduct a joint inquiry into the qualifications of the doctors and submit a report within eight weeks.The case relates to allegations that medical negligence during treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, in 2017 left Master Devarsh Jain with catastrophic brain injury. While the dispute initially centred on the treatment provided, it later expanded into a larger controversy over the credentials of the doctors involved and whether they were entitled to practise as specialists under Indian regulations.The family has alleged that despite earlier court directions, the NMC failed to provide a clear determination on the status of the qualifications relied upon by the doctors. The contempt petition contends that the issue has remained unresolved despite years of proceedings before medical regulators and the court.According to court records, the issue has been under examination for several years. In March 2025, the HC directed authorities to clearly state whether the qualifications claimed by the doctors permitted them to undertake specialised practice in India.The matter gained significance after the then Delhi Medical Council informed the court that, pending further inquiry, the two doctors should refrain from describing themselves as neonatologists or super-specialists. However, the question of whether their qualifications entitled them to practise as specialists remained unresolved.The latest order seeks to bring clarity to a dispute that has persisted for nearly a decade and could have implications beyond the present case, touching upon how specialist medical qualifications are assessed, recognised and regulated in India.The matter is scheduled to be heard again after the inquiry report is filed.
