Tejashwi Yadav's suspension of senior NMCH doctor impulsive, must be revoked: IMA

Patna: The Bihar government appeared to be on a collision course with the medical fraternity on Sunday over the recent suspension of a doctor upon the order of Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, who holds the health portfolio.

Yadav had, on Friday night, carried out surprise inspections of a number of government hospitals to take stock of preparedness for the outbreak of dengue.

He seemed displeased at the state of affairs at NMCH, the second largest public health care facility in the city and issued the order for suspension of its superintendent Dr Vinod Kumar Singh, who cried foul.

"I will have to rethink whether to continue working with the state's health department which does not treat a senior professor like me with respect. I have discharged my duties with dedication during the COVID surge. Even now, NMCH has the highest number of patients admitted to various wards, for any government hospital in Bihar,” Singh told reporters.

He also alleged that Yadav was holding him responsible for poor upkeep of hospital lavatories, "which is not my job but that of the Patna Municipal Corporation that has turned a deaf ear to our repeated complaints".

He expressed bewilderment over the deputy CM's displeasure at dengue patients being kept in the same ward as those suffering from other ailments.

"Dengue is a vector-borne viral infection which cannot get directly transmitted from one person to another. So this is a non-issue,” the aggrieved doctor said.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has also come out in his support, shooting off missives to Governor Phagu Chauhan and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and vowing to fight it out in court.

"I can vouch for the dedication of Dr Singh whom I know personally. The suspension was an impulsive decision which the government must revoke,” IMA National President Dr Sahajanand Prasad Singh told PTI over phone.

"I sent emails yesterday conveying the association's disapproval of the suspension. We will provide all support in case the aggrieved party moves the court. We have, however, advised doctors to refrain from going on a strike since it would hit the patients,” Singh said.

The IMA president, who is based in Patna, also said he looks forward to meeting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

“It will be good for the government, too, to withdraw the suspension order which suffers from legal infirmities and is unlikely to withstand legal scrutiny,” he added.

Meanwhile, the young deputy CM seemed unfazed while interacting with the media at Gandhi Maidan, where he flagged off 100 four-wheelers and 380 motorcycles, pressed into service for intensive anti-larval spray in the city.

"The IMA is free to take up the matter in whichever way it pleases. They are supposed to take the side of those in the medical profession. But, we are representatives of the people and must act in public interest,” said Yadav.

"I am in possession of a list of 705 government doctors who have been absent from duty for long, in some cases as long as 10 to 12 years. Will the IMA show the spine to back the government in taking action against them?” he said.