Jharkhand senior hospital manager appointments trigger row over 'Dr' prefix

Ranchi: The Jharkhand government's appointment of Senior Hospital Managers has sparked a major controversy after an official notification reportedly referred to 28 of the 29 selected candidates as "Dr", despite allegations that these candidates do not hold MBBS or other recognised medical degrees.

The notification, issued by the Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare Department on June 23, has drawn sharp criticism from the Junior Doctor Network (JDN) Jharkhand, which has termed the use of the "Dr" prefix a serious administrative error and demanded that the government issue a revised notification and disclose the educational qualifications of all selected candidates.

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According to the news reports, the controversy isn't limited to the notification itself. A departmental resolution issued in January 2025 had reportedly prescribed an MBBS degree as an essential qualification for the post of Senior Hospital Manager, along with additional qualifications such as a postgraduate diploma in hospital management or an MBA.

However, the recruitment advertisement issued by the National Health Mission (NHM) in June 2025 allegedly modified the eligibility criteria by stating "MBBS/PG Diploma/MBA," which critics claim allowed candidates possessing any one of these qualifications to apply instead of making an MBBS degree mandatory.

The controversy intensified after the appointment notification prefixed the names of 28 selected candidates with "Dr."

According to the association, none of the shortlisted candidates had the title "Dr." before their names in the provisional selection list released earlier. The title appeared only in the final appointment notification.

Speaking to Jagran, Dr. Sushil Kumar, president of the Junior Doctors Network, Jharkhand, questioned the government about the actual educational qualifications of candidates whose names bear the title "Dr." Do all selected candidates have an MBBS or recognized medical degree? If not, on what basis was he labeled a doctor in the government notification? If this is a typographical or administrative error, a revised notification should be issued immediately, and action should be taken against the responsible officials.

The association argued that government notifications are official statutory documents and that the use of professional titles carries legal as well as public significance. It maintained that using the title "Dr." for individuals who are not legally entitled to it could create public confusion and undermine the dignity of the medical profession.

The organization demanded that if the government claims that all selected candidates are doctors, then details of their educational degrees should be made public. And if there are errors in the notification, it should be immediately amended to clarify the actual situation, reports Jagran.

So far, the Health Department has not issued any official clarification regarding the controversy.

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