Sundergarh CDMO In-Charge Suspended On Charges Of Negligence, Reinstated

Sundergarh: The Odisha government has revoked the suspension of Pankaj Patel, the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) in-charge of Sundergarh district who had to face action on charges of negligence of duty while implementing the 'Mo Sarkar' initiative.

After the revocation of the suspension order, Patel has been transferred to Sambalpur District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) as the Senior Consultant of Medicine.

"Dr. Pankaj Kumar Patel, who was placed under suspension is hereby reinstated in service and posted as Senior Consultant (Medicine), AD Level-II, DHH Sambalpur with immediate effect, " stated the order.

Earlier, on October 13, Patel was suspended by VK Pandian, the Secretary of Transformation and Initiatives (5T), alleging serious lapses in implementation of 'Mo Sarkar' initiative.

Pandian who was on a marathon visit to the DHHs in several districts with his team, had ordered Patel’s suspension after finding that patients were forced to go for laboratory tests from private patho labs situated outside the hospital due to absence of the facility inside the hospital and also noticed that sub-standard diet was being provided to the admitted patients.

However, the suspension of Patel had not gone down well with several outfits and political organisations with the district unit of BJP staging a 6-hour bandh in the district against the move.

Notably, Patel, on the other hand, had claimed that they had not neglected any patient and for the test, he said that he had already informed the government about the unavailability of the facility in the hospital. Reportedly, he had drawn the attention of the Health Department on the issue multiple times.