SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, March 4: The Dhanbad district health department in a major step has cancelled the controversial deputation of four senior medical officers and sent them back to their original posting place at health centres.
As per the notification issued by the Dhanbad Civil Surgeon Dr. Shyam Kishore Kant, Sadar Hospital nodal officer cum Integrated Diseases Surveillance Programme (IDSP) officer Dr. Rajkumar Singh, Dr. Sunil Kumar, Baliapur Community Health Centre (CHC) medical officer in-charge Dr Rohit Gautam and Dr Ila Roy have been sent back to their original posting place.
The deputation of these doctors during last year’s Covid period in January had snowballed into a controversy. It is alleged that the then Dhanbad DC Umashankar Singh had demoted several senior medical officers in the name of Covid management.
Rattled by the action, several senior medical officers had complained to the state health department that the district administration in the name of Covid -19, has superseded them with junior and contractual doctors.
Taking the complaint seriously, Deputy Secretary of state health department Seema Udaypuri had shot off a letter seeking an explanation from the then DC Umashankar Singh for transferring of doctors and placing them on deputation without taking permission of the state headquarters.
However, a senior medical officer of the health department said that the civil surgeon has cancelled their deputation in wake of questions raised by Baghmara MLA Dhulu Mahto in the state assembly on Wednesday.
It is said that MLA Dhulu Mahto had pointed out that patients at rural health centres are suffering as their doctors are deployed at Sadar Hospital and other health centres in the city.
After the cancellation of deputations, Dr Rajkumar Singh has been sent to Govindpur CHC. Dr Sunil Kumar has been made the medical officer in-charge of Jharia cum Jorapokhar CHC and Baliapur CHC in-charge Dr Rohit Gautam to Tundi CHC. Dr Ila Roy has been asked to join Nirsa CHC.
