PATNA: The Superintendent of Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) was today suspended in connection with pasting of stickers reading 'bhukamp' (earthquake) on the foreheads of injured persons in the recent temblor among other reasons.
DMCH Superintendent Shankar Jha was suspended and Senior Deputy Superintendent S K Mishra made In-charge Superintendent of the hospital, Health Secretary Anand Kishore said.
The Head of the Department of Surgery of the hospital Uday Kant was also suspended for being absent without permission when patients kept coming, he said.
Explanation has been sought from Sister in-charge Lalitha and Matron Priza Angleo for the sticker incident, he said.
Kishore, who himself conducted a probe in the sticker case at DMCH, said that during inquiry a lot of lacunae were found for which the Superintendent was found accountable.
He said it was found that stickers were pasted on the foreheads of the earthquake victims for 24 hours, but the Superintendent had said he was not aware of it.
"It means he either did not visit the hospital for such a long duration or ignored it," the health secretary said.
Besides, the probe also found poor hygiene in the hospital, low quality of food served to patients and laxity in discharge of administrative responsibility, he said.
Taking into account all these, the government decided to suspend the Superintendent of DMCH and ordered him to report at state headquarters, Kishore said.
Television grabs showing injured patients in a separate ward of the DMCH earmarked for earthquake victims with stickers reading 'bhukamp' (earthquake) on their foreheads drew national condemnation for the hospital and the state government.