SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Mar 14: Deputy Development Commissioner (DDC) Hazaribagh has assigned three officials of the district administration to inspect Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) doctors’ duty roaster.
The officials, who have been assigned to inspect the duty roaster of the medical college hospital include Shatabdi Mazumdar (IAS), Dipak Dubey (executive magistrate) and Rajesh Kumar (circle officer Hazaribagh). Shatabdi Mazumdar is set to inspect on Sunday, Monday and Thursday; while Dipak Dubey will inspect on Tuesday and Friday. On the other hand, Rajesh Kumar will do the same on Wednesday and Saturday.
DDC Prerna Dikshit is the designated administrator of Hazaribagh medical college hospital and has asked the officials to send an inspection report to her.
The notification was issued on Monday (March 13) and a copy has also been sent to the additional chief secretary of health, deputy commissioner Hazaribagh, principal SBMCH and all department heads.
The step by the DDC has surprised medicos of the state as the Jharkhand Health Service Association (JHSA), teachers and doctors of all six medical Colleges of the state and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) were on a day-long strike on March 1. The humiliation of SBMCH doctor Dr Vishal by DDC Hazaribagh was one of the major issues of the strike.
The agitating doctors’ bodies were demanding keeping her aside from Hazaribagh medical college hospital administration. IMA sources said health minister Banna Gupta at the meeting on March 11 with agitating doctors’ bodies assured to keep her aside from college administration.
On the other hand, the inspection of medical college doctors’ duty roasters by the district administration is applicable only in Sheikh Bhikari Medical College Hospital, Hazaribagh. When contacted on Tuesday, the authorities of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College Hospital (MGMMCH) Jamshedpur, Shahid Nirmal Mahto Medical College (SNMMCH) Dhanbad, Sido Kanhu Medical College Hospital (SKMCH) Dumka and Mednirai Medical College Hospital (MMCH) Palamu said that district administration does not inspect duty roasters.
Notably, during the pandemic in 2021, the state government had assigned administrative power of medical colleges to the concerned district administration for streamlining the treatment of Covid patients. However, as the infection became controlled, the district administration of Jamshedpur, Dumka, Palamu Dhanbad and Dumka stopped inferring. In Dhanbad, the then SDM (IAS) Chandan Kumar was made administrative officer. As Covid cases were controlled, he removed his office from SNMMCH duly. Since then no administrative officer had interfered in hospital matters.
