Post-sting op,doctor to be chargesheeted,leaves health dept red-faced

Sources point out that Dr Sameer Kaushal who was “caught” from his private nursing home in Mohali even though he is posted in a primary health centre in Korian village,Sangrur,was ‘managing’ to mark his attendance at Korian as well.

For the past two days,including Friday,he had applied for a casual leave but before that he is shown in official records as attending his primary health centre regularly. “According to my information,Dr Kaushal was on duty on August 29 after which he traveled to Mohali to his nursing home where he was caught,” said Dr J P Singh,director health services,Punjab.

The villagers who had complained against Kaushal alleged that he never visited the centre.

“ The directorate and civil surgeon staff know what is going on. It is an open secret that many doctors who are running their private clinics in and around Chandigarh,Ludhiana and Jalandhar get themselves posted to far flung areas where their physical presence at the place of posting cannot be checked,” said a government doctor posted in Ludhiana.

“ Almost 90 per cent of government doctors in Punjab are doing private practice from their homes but they do private work after doing their duties. This practice is considered acceptable. There are however at least 4-5 per cent of government doctors who are not attending to their duties at all and are doing full fledged practice running nursing homes of their own,”he added.

Vini Mahajan principal secretary health,Punjab,said action would be taken on every such case. “We will not be caught napping in case other cases are brought to our notice.” she said.

Medical bodies welcome ‘sting’

Welcoming the ‘sting’ operation done by the the CPS,Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) association said they have been regularly issuing instructions to their members to refrain from private practice. “We are not going to support any doctor who is taking government salary while working privately,” said Dr Inderjit Singla,general secretary PCMSA. The Indian Medical Association said long term measures are needed to stem the rot that has crept in. “What the CPS did yesterday is very good but one person alone is not responsible for the rot,” said Dr Amandeep Aggarwal,vice-president IMA,Punjab.