M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, Nov 21: Covid-19 vaccination went nil on Saturday at the community health centre Hariharganj in Palamu district, the day CPI Maoists had a bandh.
The vaccination went nil not for any reason of the fear or terror of the Maoists. It went zero as the entire fleet of doctors, ANMs, Sahiyas, para medics at this community health centre were absent from their duties/ not present in the duty, leading to a complete collapse of the OPD services to a longer duration of the day and complete shutdown of the vaccination on Saturday.
Civil surgeon cum chief medical officer Palamu Anil Kumar said he has taken this issue seriously and informed that the concerned medical officer in charge of the community health centre Hariharganj, Dr Arun Kr has been show caused.
He also said, the medical officer in charge has been directed to explain as to how the health services and big of all the national mission Covid-19 vaccination was not conducted at this health centre on Saturday.
“Vaccination going nil is indicative of the lackadaisical attitude of the official here much against the all prevailing thrust on the vaccination,” said Anil Kumar.
Civil surgeon said, without any leave application the medical officer in charge of the community health centre Hariharganj has been found absent from duty which reflects his professional misconduct and arbitrariness to the point of defying the set norms as prescribed for the government servants. The medical officer in charge has been directed to explain his unauthorized absence from duty. For this, the medical officer in charge has been given 24 hours to present his explanation failing which his pay will be put on hold and the state health department will be apprised of the episode of nil vaccination here on Saturday.
“Any negligence and dereliction of duty that hampers the Covid-19 vaccination will be severely dealt with”, warned the civil surgeon.
About the Saturday vaccination fiasco here at this centre civil surgeon said, there was a ruckus at this centre a few days ago over the death of a woman after delivery.
He said he was told that enraged members of the family of the bereaved woman had elbowed and jostled with the health officials at this centre.
Sources said the ‘Saturday Shunya Tika’ here was the fall out of that ugly scene as doctors to ANMs all went off from duty on the Maoists bandh day without any intimation to the senior health officials sitting in Daltonganj.
Officer in charge of the Hariharganj police station Sudama Kr Das on the other hand said none of the officials of the community health centre here lodged any complaint with the police nor did this health centre seek any extra security arrangement there.
Police officer said that the police team had gone to the health centre on Saturday and worked hard to bring back normality there.
Sources said if the medical personnel of this centre were any upset or frightened by the ugly episode it ought to have brought this to the notice of the local police or to the sub divisional officer who sits in Chhatarpur about 22 kms from Hariharganj.
Civil surgeon said there is no justification at all for putting off the Covid-19 vaccination just for an ugly incident not related to the vaccination at all and that episode too would have been brought to the concerned civil and police officials available in and around here.
Sources said despite Maoists bandh on Saturday vaccinations went smoothly in Latehar and Palamu district barring this Hariharganj episode.
Latehar did more than 5,000 vaccinations on the bandh day while Palamu vaccinated 7,788 eligible.
