Chandigarh Municipal Corporation gets New Medical Officer of Health

Chandigarh: A Punjab cadre officer, Dr. Vinay Mohan has been appointed as the new Medical Officer of Health with the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation (MC), as a notification with regard to this came into effect.    

As per a media report in the Hindustan Times, the doctor was earlier posted with the Punjab Aids Control Society. He was appointed on a deputation basis, initially for around one year or until the time his services are required by MC. 

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According to a media report in the Times of India, the UT order reads, "The UT administrator is pleased to appoint Dr. Vinay Mohan as medical officer of health in the municipal corporation on deputation initially for the period of one year or till such time his services are required, whichever is earlier, on the standard terms and conditions of deputation…"

The post of the Medical Officer of Health had become vacant after the UT administration repatriated the previous MoH, Dr. Amrit Pal Singh Warring in November last year because of Chandigarh's poor performance in the Swachh Survekshan 2021. Dr. Warring is the first officer to be repatriated to Punjab by the UT because of poor performance. 

The administration had reportedly asked for a panel recommendation from Punjab and Haryana for the post of MoH, however, only the Punjab government responded.  

Punjab had sent four names as recommendations besides Dr. Mohan, and those include Dr Ranjit Singh Rai, who is currently in Mansa; Dr Vishal Garg, posted at the Punjab Health System Corporation, Mohali; and Dr Inderdeep Kaur, working with the office of director, health and family welfare, Punjab. 

Generally, the Medical Officer of Health is from Punjab. The officer plays an important role in the working of the MC, heading a number of important functional areas, including sanitation, solid waste management, stray dog management, including dog sterilisation, cattle pounds, and prevention and management of diseases like dengue. Slaughterhouses also come under the purview of the officer.  

The MC's engineering department was handling these issues in the absence of MoH, and presently it is unclear whether the two tasks would be given to the MoH or would remain with the engineering department, reports the TOI. 

An MC official told HT, "The post is important from the public welfare point of view also, as most of its functions directly impact the residents' well-being. The absence of the MoH was acutely hampering the MC's work, particularly, its attempt to regain the lost prestige in the Swachh Survekshan."