Kerela: Surgeon takes Unauthorized Leave; gets Health Ministry Memo, Removed from Chiefship

Along with the memo issued for taking unauthorized leave, the surgeon has also been removed from the post of surgery unit chief, confirmed the Ministry’s statement.

Kerela: Taking one day leave has costed a surgeon attached to the General Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram massively as the Health Minister office in response served him a memo and removed him from his post as a surgery unit chief.

The ministry exercised this drastic action while taking a serious cognizance of the unsanctioned leave taken by the doctor. The reasoning cited stands as due to the leave taken by the doctor last Friday, a number of surgeries at the General Hospital located in Thiruvananthapuram were cancelled. The hospital authorities informed the media that around eight surgeries including three women and one child were cancelled because the doctor was absent from duty.

TNIE quotes The statement released by the Health Minister’s office as reading, “The surgeon’s unauthorised leave and cancellation of surgeries at the hospital are being considered seriously by the government. A directive has already been issued to the Health Secretary to inquire into the incident and to submit a report. On the basis of the same, if necessary, further action will be initiated against the surgeon.”

Along with the memo issued for taking unauthorised leave, the surgeon has also been removed from the post of surgery unit chief, confirmed the Ministry’s statement.

The New Indian Express reports that the superintendent of the hospital also handed over a preliminary enquiry report to the Health Secretary which mentioned that the surgeon had taken an unauthorised leave earlier too and the same was reported to the Health Department.

Health Minister K K Shylaja said that though the surgeries to be performed were not of emergency nature, the hospital authorities have been asked to consider this as a special case and to conduct surgeries in a time-bound manner.