The army's system of medical screening of prospective cadets for military academies has come under a shadow with the revelation that a Gentleman Cadet (GC) at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, had only one kidney.
The army's system of medical screening of prospective cadets for military academies has come under a shadow with the revelation that a Gentleman Cadet (GC) at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, had only one kidney.
GC Surender Singh Pahal — who had been selected by the Services Selection Board in Bhopal where his medical examination was also conducted — underwent rigorous training at the IMA for eight months without any physical discomfort at all. It was only when he was hospitalised with a liver abscess and an ultrasound conducted that the army doctors in Dehradun realised that he had been born with just a kidney.
His condition was diagnosed as a case of agenesis right kidney and the cadet was discharged from service. However, Pahal claims he is fit and has challenged his discharge in the Delhi High Court. The GC contended that he had been successful in his training and cleared all physical tests.
He pleaded that his medical condition was an incidental finding during the ultrasound, that too only towards the end of the training period.
While hearing the petitioner, the HC noted that many tests conducted to check physical fitness had found Pahal fit to join the academy. The court also commented that there was no document to indicate that the cadet had any difficulty in undergoing the training for eight months.
A double bench of the high court has ordered that Pahal should be re-examined by a medical board to be constituted by the director of AIIMS, New Delhi. The board will decide if the cadet is fit to carry out his duties in the academy.
The court observed that if the board found him fit to continue with the job and perform his responsibilities, the army will have to take him back and give him all benefits.