KATHMANDU, FEBRUARY 17

Rajeeb Kumar Deo, civil aviation medical assessor at the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, has resigned after he was accused of overlooking medical reports of a senior captain at the Nepal Airlines Corporation.

Deo, who worked as CAMA for the CAAN's Flight Safety Department, submitted his resignation to the CAAN director general yesterday, a senior CAAN official told THT.

The Himalayan Times, on February 9, revealed that Deo overlooked treadmill test (TMT) and echocardiography (ECHO) reports of NAC Senior Captain Rakesh Jung Rana who lost his life due to massive heart attack on November 25. He was 62.

Though TMT as well as ECHO records of Rana's test last conducted in 2019 indicated possibility of an impending heart attack, Deo appeared to term the report's findings as 'normal' allowing Rakesh to command flights.

As per the aviation medical experts, in Rana's case, TMT and ECHO findings should have clearly alerted Deo, the concerned aero-medical physician, leading to the suspension of the pilot's medical wellness certificate.

Deo, who is also a serving Nepali Army colonel, has also been accused of charging a huge sum from the flight crew while providing medical papers, including COVID-19 PCR test reports to them, according to CAAN sources.

As per the International Civil Aviation Organisation, CAMA is a physician, appointed by the licensing authority, qualified and experienced in the practice of aviation medicine and competent in evaluating and assessing medical conditions of flight safety significance.

The CAMA reviews clinical history or performs physical examination on pilots, air traffic controllers, flight engineers, and aircraft crew.

'Medical assessors mainly evaluate medical reports submitted to CAAN by medical examiners and are expected to maintain the currency of their professional knowledge.'

Deo, who has a diploma in oncology, was hired as CAMA by amending the CAAN manual in 2014.

Deo was not available for comments.

A version of this article appears in the print on February 18, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.