Free HIV clinic in Patna

[Guest guest]

Meet Gautam Goswami MBBS

1 Dec 2007, 0515 hrs IST , Faizan Ahmad , TNN

PATNA: Meet Dr Gautam Goswami, MBBS. Also a gold medalist in MD, he

has decided to do some social service through his medical

qualification. The physician in Goswami will see the patients

suffering from HIV and AIDS and provide them counselling free of

cost.

At Vaccine House in Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayn Bhavan, he will give

two-hour time four days a week. On Saturdays and Sundays, he will be

available from 10 to 12 noon and on Wednesdays and Thursday between 6

to 8 pm. The HIV/AIDS clinic will start from Saturday.

Goswami is the same IAS official who was Patna DM only three years

back. But he went in hibernation after he was released from prison.

He was an accused in a scam.

" God provided me this opportunity to serve the people, " said Goswami,

who, after being released from jail on bail is serving with the

headquarters under department of personnel and administrative

reforms.

" Since I am yet to get a posting, I have plenty of time and I want to

utilise it in the service of humanity, " Goswami told TOI, adding this

would also satisfy him. " If Dr B C Roy being chief minister of West

Bengal and Dr C P Thakur being Union health minister could see

patients, I also want to follow their footsteps, " he said.

Stressing on qualitative treatment, Goswami said in private there are

very few physicians exclusively treating HIV/AIDS patients. Like its

treatment, the counselling is also expensive. Counselling, he said,

is a big part of the treatment and " I'm here to provide free of

cost. "

Goswami has been in the limelight several times. When he was Patna DM

during last Lok Sabha polls, he went straight to BJP star campaigner

LK Advani on the dais at Gandhi Maidan and asked him to stop his

speech, saying " the deadline had expired " . He was selected one of the

20 Asian Heroes by TIME magazine. But from that height he fell down

suddenly when he was accused in the flood relief scam.

" The case is lying with the vigilance court and still not opened, " he

said. He avoided further questions on the status of the case saying

several top politicians and Bollywood actors are also facing cases

but that do not affect their professional capability and

acceptability. " Court cases and problems are in everybody's life and

that should not adversely affect their career, " he said

philosophically.

Goswami said he would try his best to motivate and impress the

patients and provide them best counselling and help cut short

unnecessary expenses. This exclusive HIV/AIDS clinic will also make

data inventory and documentation, keeping the identity of the

patients secret.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/2586730.cms