Pune's Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College dean, health dept clash over doctors' absenteeism

Pune: A rift has surfaced between the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) health department and the dean in-charge of Bharatratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College over complaints of doctors being absent frequently and allegedly neglecting patient care at the civic-run Kamala Nehru Hospital.

The dispute began after PMC’s Chief Public Health Officer, Dr Neena Borade, sent a letter to the college’s dean-in-charge, Dr Shilpa Pratinidhi, seeking an explanation about complaints that doctors in the internal medicine department were not properly attending to patients.

The complaint was initially raised by the hospital’s medical superintendent, Dr Prashant Bothe, in a letter dated 18 August 2025. Dr Bothe alleged that doctors, after completing their rounds, do not mention patients in notes and instead ask interns to write them, which he alleged are often inaccurate. He also mentioned that several doctors frequently take leave, department heads remain absent, and emergency doctors leave early after marking attendance.

Also read- NMC notice to Pune's Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College over bed shortage

"Doctors take leave every second and fourth Saturday, heads of the departments are often missing, and emergency department doctors leave after signing on the attendance register," Dr Bothe stated in the letter.

Acting on this letter, Dr Borade sent a letter to the college dean in charge, Dr Shilpa Pratinidhi, seeking an explanation on the complaint received and what action would be taken against the doctors concerned.

In response, Dr Pratinidhi reportedly complained verbally to PMC’s additional commissioner, Pradeep Chandran, questioning Dr Borade’s authority to issue such directives.

A civic health department official told TOI, "She said that as a dean, she is at par with Dr Borade because the civic health department and the medical college are two different entities."

When asked about the letter, Dr Pratinidhi said, "All work at the medical college and the hospital is going on smoothly. Our doctors do go to the hospital to treat patients, and we will talk to the doctors who miss their duty hours, and if necessary, appropriate action will be taken. We have not received any notice from PMC's health department, but we have received instructions regarding some issues."

This comes five months after the National Medical Commission (NMC) issued a show-cause notice to Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College, highlighting serious deficiencies in infrastructure, staffing, and facilities at the institute.

Medical Dialogues had reported that the NMC in the show-cause notice questioned why the recognition of the medical college should not be revoked and a fine of Rs 1 crore should not be imposed.

Also read- Is Pune's Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical College at Risk of Losing NMC Recognition?