CHC doctor suspended for allegedly directing patients to private pharmacies

Jajpur: A government doctor posted at the Dharmasala Community Health Centre (CHC) in Jajpur district of Odisha was suspended on Thursday for allegedly asking patients to buy medicines from private outlets, officials said.

The doctor was identified as Hemanta Kumar Maharana, and he was posted at the Dharmasala Community Health Centre in Jajpur district, they said.

According to the PTI report, he allegedly asked patients to purchase medicines from private outlets instead of giving them those available at the health centre, they added.

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Patients complained about it to Health Secretary Aswathy S, who visited the health centre on Monday following the outbreak of diarrhoea in the area.

The suspension order was issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department.

Maharana was directed to report to the district headquarters hospital. He was also restricted from leaving the station without prior permission from higher authorities.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that a government surgeon working at a hospital in Gudibande in Chikkaballapura district has been suspended following allegations of demanding and accepting bribes for performing surgeries. The action comes after a video aired on a television news channel on June 11, purportedly showing the doctor demanding and accepting money from patients in exchange for performing surgeries.

The footage has sparked public outrage and brought considerable embarrassment to the department.

According to officials, he had been serving as the in-charge Taluk Health Officer since August 2019.

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