SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Feb 22: A section of doctors across the state has opposed the felicitation of Health Minister Banna Gupta at a function of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in Ranchi on March 6.
Some doctors of Jamshedpur, Garhwa, Dhanbad districts while opposing the decision of state IMA said that the health minister has done nothing for the medicos for which he should be felicitated. Rather, in the last two years, the state government sent several doctors to jail and closed several nursing homes.
“During the Corona pandemic, around 111 diagnostic centres, private health clinics, nursing homes including Medica Hospital, Ankur Pathology, Meditrina Hospital Jamshedpur, Chakravarty Nursing Home Dhanbad were closed for several days. But Health Minister Banna Gupta did nothing to bail them out,” said a Jamshedpur-based senior doctor, requesting anonymity.
Another doctor pointed out that in 2014, the then Health Minister Rajendra Singh had regularized the jobs of hundreds of contractual doctors in the state. But in the last two years, the present health minister who also belongs to Congress has sent several doctors to jail including Dr. Rajesh Mohnati, Dr. OP Anand, Dr. Rakshit and Paramedical staff during Covid.
“I congratulate the new team of state IMA but at the same time, I also request the office bearers to think over felicitating the health minister as doctors across the state are worried over his attitude,” he said.
A doctor from the Garhwa district said that several health clinics were booked in the name of the Clinical Establishment Act but the health minister did not do anything for the Medical Protection Act.
“All of us know that the IMA is an organization of the doctors, for the doctors, and by the doctors. So the IMA state body should consider the sentiment of doctors of the state over felicitating the health minister,” he said.
However, IMA state president Dr AK Singh said that he had not received any letter from doctors regarding the protest over the health minister’s participation in the function. He said that so far no one has been invited but IMA has listed names of not only the health minister of state but the chief minister, IMA national body president, secretary-general, treasurer, officials of the World Health Organization (WHO) as well.
“If a particular doctor has any grudge with the health minister, he would not comment but IMA can’t overlook him as the organization needs his help in the welfare of doctors and health centres. Whereas action on doctors and hospitals are concerned, IMA local branch did not inform the state body to protest,” said the IMA president.
