VIP Culture: Doon Medical College Associate Professor resigns, alleges Harassment by Health Secretary's wife

Dehradun: Writing to the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, an Associate Professor of Government Doon Medical College, Dehradun raised red flags of VIP culture against the State Health Secretary Mr. Pankaj Pandey, and resigned from her post.

This comes after Dr. Nidhi Uniyal, an Associate Professor of General Medicine was transferred from Dehrarun to Soban Singh Jeena Government Medical and Sciences College, Almora on March 31.

Following this, she wrote to the Chief Minister and claimed that her transfer order was a result of her recent visit to the residence of the Health Secretary to attend his wife. During her visit the wife of the Health Secretary allegedly used "un pleasantry words" to the doctor and when the doctor objected to it, she was asked to tender an apology, claimed the doctor.

Resigning from her post, the doctor demanded initiation of an action against the Health Secretary.

Also Read: Doctors Write to PM Modi to stop VIP Culture during Pandemic

Abolition of VIP Culture has been a long-standing demand for doctors across the country. The medical Dialogues team had been reporting about the same.

The doctors have been condemning the practice of engaging government doctors on VIP/VVIP duty without following proper guidelines.

Whenever a VIP or a VVIP were made to visit the health centre, the doctors get deployed to accompany them which is nothing but a wastage of time and available manpower. This practice happened without following any proper guidelines, the doctors had been alleging.

In the recent letter to the Chief Minister, Dr. Uniyal alleged similar kind of practice where she allegedly had to attend the wife of the Health Secretary, leaving her running OPD and making a number of patients wait in the hospital.

"With due regards to the Health Secretary, I visited his residence with two of my hospital staff, leaving my running OPD and kept waiting number of patients in the hospital," read the letter.

However, the troubles did not end here for the doctor. The letter mentions that during her visit to the Health Secretary's residence, the BP instrument was left in the car. So, even though the doctor examined the wife of the Health Secretary, the BP instrument was delayed. Following this, the patient allegedly resorted to usage of un pleasantry words to the doctor.

"I visited her residence and examined her duly and as BP instrument was left in the car, arrival of BP instrument was delayed, wife of Mr. Pandey resorted to usage of un pleasantry words demeaning to my profession and conduct. To which, I objected, felt bad and came back," the letter states.

Upon her return, the doctor was asked to "tender an apology to Mr. Pandey's wife", to which the doctor objected.

"As I am not at fault, I refused to tender an apology," the letter mentioned. 

Terming the incident to be "toxic", the doctor, who is a trained from India's premier medical colleges, resigned from her post and demanded an action against the Health Secretary.

"Given this harassment at the behest of Secretary Health, I hereby resign from my post of Associate Professor with a plea that an action must be initiated against the concerned Secretary," read the letter.

Meanwhile, TOI adds that the Health Secretary has refuted such claims and told the daily, "These are incorrect claims. She is just upset as she was being transferred to a hill town. If she were true, she should have raised her concerns through an official channel."

Also Read: Health Minister Mandaviya makes surprise visit to RML, discusses VVIP culture at hospital