Fortis Hospital: Two Doctors’ Credentials Under Scrutiny by DMC

Fortis Hospital Faces Heat as Two Doctors Restricted by DMC

On May 21, 2025, the Delhi Medical Council (DMC) issued an order restraining two doctors from Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh, Delhi—Dr. Akhilesh Singh and Dr. Vivek Jain—from using the designations of Neonatologist and Super Specialist. Following an executive meeting on May 19, 2025, the DMC wrote to the Medical Superintendent of Fortis Hospital, stating that Dr. Akhilesh Singh, holding only an MBBS qualification, cannot claim specialist status. Additionally, based on material on record and information received from the UK General Medical Council, Dr. Vivek Jain must also refrain from using these designations, according to the DMC. The Delhi Medical Council letter, in possession of The Probe, further notes that the credentials of both doctors as qualified pediatricians are pending enquiry, marking a significant step in addressing allegations of medical negligence at the hospital.

For eight years, Sachin Jain, an advocate from Delhi, has been fighting for justice for his son Devarsh, who he alleges was a victim of medical negligence during his birth at Fortis Hospital, Shalimar Bagh in Delhi. The DMC order represents a hard-fought victory in a battle that began when a routine delivery in August 2017 turned into a nightmare. Sachin’s relentless pursuit of accountability has exposed critical lapses in the hospital’s care, particularly concerning the qualifications of the doctors entrusted with his newborn son’s life.

For Sachin, the fight for justice has yielded some victories, but complete justice remains a distant horizon, a road paved with unyielding hope. The ordeal unfolded when Devarsh, born without prenatal complications, was placed in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for 11 days as a precautionary measure. It was during this period, as per the family, that something went terribly wrong, a mystery Sachin would only uncover later as his son began showing alarming symptoms, including seizures and developmental regression, pointing to a brain injury. 

Speaking to The Probe, Sachin recalls: "The incident dates back to August 12, 2017. My wife had gone to Fortis Hospital in Shalimar Bagh for the delivery of our child. After the delivery, the hospital took a decision—despite the child appearing fine—that as a precautionary measure and for preterm care, they would shift him to the NICU, the neonatal intensive care unit. We agreed to this. After all, these are medical decisions, and we trusted the judgment of the doctors. I want to highlight that there were no prenatal complications. Fortis hospital kept our child in the NICU for about 11 days. But during those 11 days at the hospital, something went terribly wrong." 

Sachin alleges that the cracks in hospital's care began to show after Devarsh’s discharge. Sachin’s face tightens as he recounts the alarming changes in his son. “Once we brought him home, we started noticing unusual symptoms,” he says. “He had episodes that resembled seizures. We informed Dr. Vivek Jain about it, but he assured us there was nothing to worry about. However, after about eight months, things started to worsen. Our son began regressing on all his developmental milestones. He stopped recognising us. That’s when we consulted a pediatric neurologist from AIIMS. A series of brain tests were conducted, and the results were shocking. They indicated that our son had suffered a brain injury, most likely around the time of his birth. So, when we traced the timeline—before birth, everything was normal; during delivery, there were no complications—the only window where something could have gone wrong was during those 12 days in the NICU under the care of Dr. Vivek Jain and Dr. Akhilesh Singh at the hospital.”

A Father's Battle for Eight Years

This revelation became the cornerstone of Sachin’s legal battle against the hospital. Determined to hold those responsible accountable, he dug deeper into the credentials of the doctors entrusted with his son’s care at birth. “As our fight progressed, in February 2023, the magistrate who was hearing the FIR directed the investigating officer to collect the qualification certificates of the two doctors,” Sachin explains, his tone laced with disbelief. “What we discovered was shocking—neither of them is a specialist, let alone a super specialist. Yet, they were administering life-saving treatments to newborns. We immediately approached the High Court of Delhi. The court took cognisance of the issue and directed the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the Delhi Medical Council, along with both doctors, to respond to our allegations about their qualifications.” 

The fight for justice against Fortis Hospital took Sachin Jain into a labyrinth of regulatory ambiguity, where answers were scarce and accountability scarcer. Undeterred, he pressed on, confronting the vague responses from oversight bodies tasked with upholding medical standards. “It was more than evident and clear that these doctors did not have the qualifications that they claimed through their designations,” Sachin says, his frustration palpable as he recounts the stonewalling by authorities like the DMC and the NMC meant to protect patients.

Sachin narrates: “I filed a complaint with the CBI, providing them with all the evidence that these doctors were unqualified. I also named the NMC and the Delhi Medical Council as accused parties because, in my view, they are shielding these doctors despite knowing they are not qualified. However, the CBI transferred my complaint to the National Medical Commission—ironically, one of the accused bodies. The NMC, in turn, forwarded it to the Delhi Medical Council. In April 2025—just about a month ago—the Delhi Medical Council sought clarifications from me, which I promptly provided.” 

After eight grueling years, Sachin’s fight bore fruit. On May 21, 2025, the Delhi Medical Council issued an order, a small but significant victory. The order declared: “Considering the material on record and information received from the UK General Medical Council regarding Dr. Vivek Jain, the Executive Committee of the Delhi Medical Council, in the public interest, takes the prima facie view that, pending further inquiry, both Dr. Akhilesh Singh and Dr. Vivek Jain should refrain from claiming neonatologist status and practising as super specialists. Their credentials as qualified pediatricians are also pending enquiry.”

Sachin reflects on this milestone with measured relief. “In that order, they have restrained both doctors from practicing as super specialists,” he says. “They have issued an official letter to Fortis Hospital and to the two doctors, and I have received a copy of the same. But it’s deeply unfortunate that such serious violations were allowed to go unchecked for so long. When unqualified or unskilled doctors are allowed to handle life-threatening conditions in newborns, it’s a matter that our legal system and society must take seriously.” For Sachin, this order is a step toward holding the hospital accountable, but the road to complete justice for Devarsh remains long.

The weight of the allegations of medical negligence in the case is most profoundly felt in the silent suffering of Master Devarsh Jain, whose life was irrevocably altered after his birth. Sachin Jain’s voice trembles with both grief and resolve as he speaks of his son’s plight. “First and foremost, we want justice for our son Devarsh. He has suffered irreversible brain damage. For the past eight years, he has been bedridden. He cannot eat, cannot sit, cannot recognise his parents, cannot speak. His life has been destroyed. We want these doctors to be barred from practicing as specialists, because they pose a threat to public health.” 

Sachin’s fight extends beyond his son, targeting systemic flaws that allowed unqualified doctors to care for his son. “I’ve already sent a reply to the Delhi Medical Council in response to their order,” he explains. “I’ve asked them to immediately terminate the license of these two doctors to practice. That’s one. Secondly, I’ve requested them to initiate criminal action against both doctors. And third, I’ve asked them to recommend action against Fortis Hospital as well. In our country, it’s almost impossible to get action against a doctor for medical negligence, but if the doctor is found to be unqualified, then I feel that no leniency or advantage should be given to such doctors.” 

Reflecting on the broader implications, Sachin questions the trust families place in renowned super speciality hospitals.  “And I ask myself this: if I, as a parent, had known these doctors were unqualified, would I have taken my child to them? Of course not. Then why should other families unknowingly put their children in harm’s way? Ignorance should not be a death sentence. We’ve filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in connection with Devarsh Jain’s case. We’ve requested the court to ensure that some mechanism is put in place so that a patient, before approaching a doctor, can verify their eligibility and qualifications.” This PIL seeks to prevent other families from enduring the tragedy that we faced. 

The anguish of what could have been haunts Sachin daily. “And what hurts the most is knowing that all of this was avoidable,” he says, his voice breaking. “If we had taken him to a properly qualified doctor, maybe today he’d be a healthy child, going to school like others. But instead, every day we see the misery—the pain our child is going through, the life he has been forced to live. And when we see the kind of life the doctors responsible for this continue to enjoy, it really hurts. If even in this case we don’t get justice, I fear people will lose faith in the justice system. Because this is a case where the wrongdoing is so obvious, so evident, that justice must be done—not just for Devarsh, but for all other children who may have suffered similarly.”