Govt starts overhauling verification process
CUTTACK: After years of turning a blind eye to the functioning of the corruption-steeped Cuttack district health administration, the Government has finally initiated corrective measures.
A good two months after the death of the three-year-old boy Sreejit Das in an illegally operating nursing home in the city, the Health Department has directed for overhauling of the process of verification of nursing homes, diagnostic centres, laboratories and other clinical establishments under the chief district medical officer (CDMO), Cuttack.
The Department has ordered immediate shifting of the clerks and staff dealing with verification of clinical establishments. The clerks should be divested of such responsibility by changing their seats immediately and suitable ministerial staff should be brought in from outside the City Hospital to assume charge forthwith, the Department order to the CDMO has categorically stated.
While the corruption and irregularities in the office of the CDMO is common knowledge, the issue was aggressively taken up with the Government by the Collector. Upon complaints of gross irregularities in the verification process, the Collector had conducted an inquiry and had sought action against the clerks and staff who were directly dealing with the regulation of clinical establishments.
There are two clerks, who have been assigned with the responsibility of verification of the nursing homes, labs and clinics. They also accompany the teams for raids on such establishments.
The clerks and other ministerial staff, by virtue of their being posted in the same seat for years together in gross violation of Government stipulations, had developed a vested interest and were allegedly involved in illegal practices in the name of verification of the establishments, the report is stated to have pointed out.
The measure should be followed up by similar action against all such clerks who have been continuing in their posts for over 15 years while rules stipulate transfer after three years in one place. The former CDMO Dr Manorama Dei, who retired recently, blatantly flouted the rules and did not even bother to obey repeated orders issued by the Government.
The present CDMO (in-charge) Dr DK Das said, “The orders for transfer would be acted upon immediately on receiving it from the Government.”