Accused of pvt practice, Varanasi hosp CMS, five more docs transferred
Several doctors and many paramedical staff had been staging a dharna for the last 18 days to press for their demand to remove the CMS.
Chief medical superintendent (CMS) Dr. Digvijay Singh and five other doctors of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Government Hospital in Varanasi have been transferred after a departmental inquiry was set up to look into the allegations of private practice levelled against them, officials said.
Additionally, the CMS has been accused of not acting despite himself knowing that some of the doctors at the hospital were practicing privately.
Deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak wrote on X: “... an inquiry was conducted in which, on being found guilty, six medical officers, including the chief medical superintendent, were transferred and other people were posted in the vacant spots. No officer or employee who tarnishes the image of the department, or is indisciplined and negligent in the treatment of patients will be spared.”
The director of Medical and Health (Administration) has been nominated as the ex-officio inquiry officer. He will complete the inquiry and submit his report to the government in a month. Dr Singh has been asked to cooperate during the inquiry. Meanwhile, Dr Brijesh Kumar, the CMS of the district hospital in Barabanki, has been named the new CMS of the Varanasi hospital.
Other doctors accused of private practice are Dr Krishna Ji Pandey, Dr. Pawan Kumar Singh, Dr. Ravindra Nath Singh, Dr Krishan Kumar Barnwal and Dr. Shiv Pujan Maurya. They have been transferred to other districts.
Dr Digvijay Singh has been transferred to the post of joint director in the Directorate of Health Services in Lucknow amid a demand by a group of staff members for his removal.
Also, BJP activist Ashwini Pandey had written to senior officials alleging that Dr Singh was involved in private practice. Therefore, action should be taken against Dr Singh and he should be removed from his post, Pandey had suggested.
Several doctors and many paramedical staff had come together in Varanasi and been staging a dharna for the last 18 days to press for their demand to remove the CMS.
In response, the ex-CMS said since he warned of strict action against the doctors and staff who were not working responsibly, the latter started protesting against him.