SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Aug 22: Dr PP Shah of Khunti received the honour of 1st president of the Jharkhand Health Services Association (JHSA) to be elected through ballots in 22 years.
The election was held on Sunday and the result was declared in the late evening.
Till 2020, right from the first JHSA president Dr Sumant Kumar Mishra to the outgoing president Dr Marshal Aind (who retired from service in July 2022), all were chosen unanimously based on being the senior most medical officer in the state.
The senior most medical officer at present, Dr Krishna Kumar (director in-chief health), had refused the responsibility. For the sessions 2022-24, ballots were used to elect the president for the first time. Dr PP Shah, posted in the Khunti district, received the highest votes among the four candidates.
Before being elected as president, Dr Shah, the 1990-batch medical officer, was the senior vice-president of the South Chhotanagpur JHSA executive committee. In 2018, he became the state convener of JHSA.
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Dr Thakur Mritunjay Kumar Singh, posted in Bokaro district, has also got the honour to be the first elected secretary of JHSA. He has replaced Dr Bimlesh Kumar Singh who too had refused to contest the poll to give the chance to new people in the interest of the organization.
Dr Thakur, a 2009-batch medical officer, was the state convener of JHSA before being elected as secretary in the Sunday poll in a triangular contest. He was also the JHSA secretary of Ramgarh district from 2017 to 2020.
The election was also held for the post of state convener and one post of vice-president for the Santhal Division. Dr Md Shamim Akhtar of Ramgarh defeated Dr Krishna Murari Singh of Ranchi while Dr Rajiv Kumar of Deoghar beat Dr Amit Thakur of Pakur.
Seven vice-presidents, treasurer and seven joint secretaries had also been elected unanimously.
Following are new office bearers of the JHSA new committee for 2022-24 sessions after the Sunday poll-
President- Dr PP Shah
Vice-presidents- Dr Rajiv Kumar (Santhal division), Dr Alok Ranjan Mahto (Kolhan seat), Dr Amrendra Prasad (Ranchi headquarter seat), Dr Tanushree Chakraborty (North Chhotanagpur seat), Dr Santosh Prasad (Palamu Division seat), Dr Sharda Kumar (dental wing), Dr Meeta Sinha (female wing)
Secretary- Dr Tahakur Mritunjay Kumar Singh
Convener- Dr Shamim Akhtar
Treasurer- Dr Stephen Xess of Ranchi
Joint Secretaries- Dr Vikash Kumar Gupta (headquarter Ranchi), Dr Dinesh Chandra Swaiyan (Kolhan seat), Dr Basudha (S Chhotanagpur seat), Dr Rahul Kumar (N Chhotanagpur seat), Dr Suresh Kumar Ram (Palamu division seat), Dr Estasham Uddin (Santhal seat) and Dr Niket Choudhary (Dental seat).
