Four medical officers’ deputations were recently cancelled by the Pune Public Health Department after it was discovered that Dr. Nagnath Yempalay, the district’s civil surgeon, had transferred them to different positions without telling higher-ups. Drs. Mohsin Sheikh (sub-district hospital, Baramati), Prasad Ashtikar (rural hospital, Saswad), Anil Sharma (rural hospital, Malshiras), and Dinesh B. Rathod (assistant surgeon, rural hospital, Vadgaon Maval) were the four medical officers who participated.
The Deputy Director of Health Services for the Pune Region, Dr Radhakishan Pawar, formally announced on 6 January that the medical officers’ deputation had been terminated with immediate effect. The cops were told to return to their initial locations. Following a complaint and an internal investigation that revealed Dr. Yempalay had made the assignments without seeking senior authorities’ approval, the action was taken. The department argued that the choice was made out of personal convenience rather than necessity and viewed this as an abuse of his authority.
Additionally, the official decree made clear that civil surgeons lack the power to decide on their own. According to the directive, Dr. Yempalay had eight days to provide a formal justification for the medical officers’ delegation. Additionally, it stipulated that going forward, the deputy director’s office must receive any suggestions for deputation or service assignments in advance. Any departure from these protocols could result in disciplinary action since it would be considered a breach of the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1979.
Dr. Yempalay responded to the order by defending his conduct, claiming that the medical officers’ deputation was required to address staffing shortages and guarantee the provision of services where they were most needed. He insisted that higher authorities were informed of these assignments, which are typical in the health department. He also underlined that appropriate procedures were followed and that the decisions were made in response to the urgent demand for medical personnel in particular hospitals. He planned to elaborate on these points in his written response to the ruling.
This case emphasizes the continuous difficulties in managing medical personnel and the significance of following established protocols to prevent miscommunications and preserve openness in public health administration decision-making.
SOURCE :
HINDUSTAN TIMES
