6 UP doctors get show-cause notice for absence during Duty Hours

Noida: Six doctors from District Combined Hospital in Loni have received show-cause notices from the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Bhavtosh Shankdhar for being absent from their seats during duty hours.

Show-cause notices have been issued to an ENT Surgeon, a radiologist, two emergency medical officers, a gynecologist, and a dental surgeon belonging to the hospital. They have been asked to submit a response to the show-cause notice.

The CMO initiated the action against the doctors on Monday after it was found that those doctors were missing at around 1.30 PM on Saturday when a family from Ghaziabad had reached the hospital along with a patient.

Officials informed TOI that the show cause notices were issued to those six doctors after the CMO received a video from the hospital that showed that the doctors were absent from their posts. This comes around nine days after the State's Deputy Chief Minister, Brajesh Pathak, inaugurated the 50-bedded District Combined Hospital in Loni.

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Previously, there was only one community health centre (CHC) at Loni catering to the needs of more than 10 lakh population. At that time, all the patients used to go to District MMG Hospital and the Combined District Hospital in Sanjay Nagar even for minor problems.

The newly inaugurated District Combined Hospital in Loni will offer services like institutional deliveries, CT-scans, general surgeries, dental and ENT operations. The hospital has two operation theatres.

However, after discovering that six doctors at the hospital were absent from their duties during duty hours, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Bhavtosh Shankdhar issued show-cause notices to them. 

Commenting on the matter, Dr. Shankhdar told the Times of India, “I sought a response from the doctors after receiving a video of thshow-causee Loni hospital. A patient's family claimed the doctors were not present in their seats. We found out that the doctors were present in the hospital but not in their seats, which caused inconvenience to the family. The doctors must be available at the hospital till 2 pm at least. We have instructed doctors at all government health care centres to stay back for a few more minutes for patients to collect medicines from the pharmacy as they may require the help of doctors."

The State Health Department of Uttar Pradesh has been taking cognisance of the issue of unauthorised absence of doctors. Medical Dialogues had reported that earlier this year, more than 250 doctors from the State have come under the radar of the State Health Department for not rejoining their duties after taking a sabbatical for finishing a specialisation course.

Taking note of the issue, the Health Department had prepared a list of such doctors and decided to issue notices to them. It was decided that if the doctors failed to submit an explanation for their unauthorised absence or resume their duties, they would face disciplinary action.

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