This story is from January 26, 2021

Punish Bhandara docs with extended stay in district: IMA

Punish Bhandara docs with extended stay in district: IMA
Nagpur: Suggesting that transfer is an escape route which even otherwise all government officers seek, Bhandara district IMA president Dr Nitin Turaskar has demanded that all the four permanent officials against whom action has been taken must be made to compulsorily serve at the district general hospital for five years.
Dr Turaskar said Bhandara being a backward place, no top officer wish to get posted there.
“The government has only facilitated their exit. Instead, they must be posted at the Bhandara district hospital for five years as punishment,” he wrote, in his letter to the state governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
Dr Turaskar also demanded that the state government must deduct two month’s salaries of all the hospital and public health department staff to compensate the parents who lost their 10 premature babies in the January 9 fire at the SNCU.
Bhandara district general hospital civil surgeon Dr Pramod Khandate, medical officer Dr Archana Meshram and in-charge sister Jyoti Haraskar have been suspended. Additional civil surgeon Dr Sunita Badhe transferred to a non-functional post. Contractual staff paediatrician Dr Sushil Ambade and incharge sisters Smita Ambilduke and Shubhangi Satawane were terminated.
Dr Khandate has now been posted at Wardha district hospital where a departmental inquiry would be initiated against him under suspension as per norms. Dr Badhe is yet to get a posting.
Dr Turaskar also cited the response by the hospital regarding fire safety to RTI filed by Vikas Madankar, a local activist. “In 2018, it had become clear the hospital lacked fire hydrants, smoke alarm, sprinklers, while it claimed to have escape route and ladders. In June 2020, Madankar again filed an RTI asking what measures were taken to remove the deficiencies seen in 2020. But the authorities didn’t wake up from slumber even then,” he said.

The Bhandara IMA president also stated that Rs1.52 crore were required for fire compliance. “Costly ventilators, injections and PPE kits were purchased for Covid. But the department never cared for fire safety in its SNCU,” said Dr Turaskar.
Meanwhile, more support poured in for the district general hospital’s staff. Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) also submitted a representation to the district collector seeking a probe investigation into the technical flaws in equipments. The association questioned the government’s action on doctors and nurses. “Allegations were put on health care workers ask if they were solely responsible for the tragedy,” MARD stated in its letter to the collector.
BJP STAGE PROTEST
The BJP raised the issue Bhandara District General Hospital fire incident during its massive rally from Shastri Chowk to the collector’s office on Monday. Leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis, former energy minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, MLC Parinay Fuke and other local leader took part in the morcha. Fadnavis slammed the state government over its alleged reluctance to file an FIR in the case. The BJP also demanded a judicial probe into the January 9 fire, indicating it wasn’t happy with the divisional commissioner Sanjeev Kumar panel probe following five hospital staffers were either suspended, transferred and terminated.
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