Spat over allocation of COVID-19 duty: Govt doctors served memo for allegedly leaving official WhatsApp group
Tamil Nadu: Government doctors attached to Erode Medical College was served a memo for allegedly exiting an official WhatsApp group after a spat over allocation of COVID-19 duty. The authorities sought them to furnish an explanation within three days for the same.
The Chief of the General Medicine Department issued the memo following an incident where the doctors allegedly left one of the WhatsApp groups of the department after having a heated conversation regarding the allocation of COVID-19 duty.
The memo issued for the doctors read, "the following medical officers are instructed to give their explanation within three days regarding their exit from officials WhatsApp group of Government Erode Medical College and Hospital, Perundurai, Erode, which is essential to communicate all official matters to respective individuals."
As per Dean R.Mani, the medical practitioners were added back to the group a number of times yet they kept on leaving the group. The action of leaving it over an argument has been criticized by the authorities, he added.
Giving further details, he mentioned that the official WhatsApp group is important as most of the communication occurs online due to the lockdown; also any kind of important discussion regarding a patient's health report is also discussed in the group. The group is of vital importance, he claimed.
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Speaking to The New Indian Express, he stated, "This is not a group started for any entertainment. It is an official group that started for official communication. I expect my subordinates to stay in the group so that I can convey certain things, as it is not possible to meet them as different people will be in different wards or elsewhere."
The hospital dean confirmed that the doctors, later, gave an explanation and the issue was resolved. However, commenting on the issue, he told the daily, "Whatever the issue at hand, the doctors must have first discussed it with the heads of their department. They explained saying they left the group accidentally as they are using a touch phone. But, it was not so," Dr Mani added.
