Telangana Govt doctors stage black badge protest over Removal of Jagtial Hospital Superintendent

Hyderabad: A black-badge protest was recently organised by the Telangana Teaching Government Doctors Association (TTGDA) where doctors from several government medical colleges in the state participated to protest against the removal of Jagtial Government General Hospital Superintendent Dr L Ramulu from his position over allegations of dereliction of duty.

Condemning the humiliation against the senior doctor, the association called the move “baseless and outrageous,” highlighting that such treatment given to a senior doctor was unacceptable. It clarified that Dr Ramulu was not managing his position by choice but was managing responsibilities in the absence of the additional DME.

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On December 19, Collector B Satya Prasad issued an order surrendering Jagtial Government General Hospital Superintendent Dr L Ramulu to the Director of Medical Education over allegations of dereliction of duty, as per the Telangana Today news report. 

In the order, the Collector highlighted that "The Superintendent had attended only three Zilla Parishad general body meetings as against nine meetings held in his tenure. On October 28, the Additional Collector (Local Bodies) instructed the Superintendent to prepare a comparative statement for final approval to purchase drugs and medicines. However, the Superintendent did not process the file.

Ramulu had also taken approval from higher officials for a diet contract only two months after the lapse of the old contract. When the news regarding the usage of expired medicine being given in the Maternal and Child Health Centre circulated on social media on November 12, the Superintendent was not on duty and the subordinates answered the same that he was on leave but no leave was sanctioned by the department HOD or the District Collector."

Coming in support of the superintendent, doctors from the Gandhi Medical College, Osmania Medical College in Hyderabad, and Government Medical Colleges in Khammam, Sircilla, Jagtiyal, Mahabubabad and Karimnagar wore black badges as a mark of solidarity while continuing their duties, the Newsmeter reports. 

In a statement, the association said, "The doctor in question did not assume the position by choice. In the absence of the additional DME taking charge on time, they handled their responsibilities smoothly and efficiently for many years without adding any burden to the government. It is deeply troubling that instead of encouraging such talent, the system has chosen to humiliate it."

Recalling similar incidents in other districts, the association noted that this was not an isolated incident. In one such case, the superintendent of Kothagudem, who faced administrative action died from a heart attack. The doctor passed away five months after he was removed from his post on allegations of financial irregularities, which, according to his wife and fellow doctors, were never proved.

"The way some district administrators are managing medical college responsibilities—institutions that the government holds in high regard—is highly disappointing," reads the statement. 

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