BHUBANESWAR: Amid an acute shortage of faculty in medical colleges in the state, a professor of the gastroenterology department in MKCG Medical College and Hospital (MCH) has gone on perennial leave severely affecting education and health care services in the specialty. A lone assistant professor is managing the services after professor and head of the department Dr Haribhakti Seba Das, who joined on January 17 this year, went on leave from February 1.
Sources said Dr Das has been extending leave since then and has extended it at least six times in last nine months on medical grounds. She has availed leave for more than a month at a stretch. In all her leave applications, she has cited that she is suffering from severe acute exacerbation of lumbosacral pain with radiating pain to the leg and severe pain in the right knee and right shoulder joint.
What has left the medical fraternity surprised is that the directorate of medical education and training has done little to resolve the crisis despite repeated reminders from MKCG authorities. Although leave for more than 60 days requires a certificate from the medical board, sources said, no such certificate has been submitted by Dr Das, and despite that she has been extended leave from time to time.
Stating that the prolonged absence of Dr Das has caused dislocation of services provided by the gastroenterology specialty in the hospital and teaching, the dean and principal of MKCG MCH Prof Santosh Mishra had apprised the matter to the director of medical education and training (DMET) and sought his intervention to direct the professor to appear before the medical board for ascertain the exact period of leave required for treatment. More than two months have passed since the matter was brought to the notice of the DMET, but he is yet to take a call on it.
While the dean said it is the directorate to take a final decision on the matter, DMET Dr Sachidananda Mohanty told TNIE that the matter will be examined. The dean Prof Mishra, however, said that medical education and patient care in MKCG were seriously affected due to the continued absence of the professor. “An assistant professor and another from gastroenterology surgery are managing the department,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Das said she has informed the Health department and DMET about her health condition. “Post surgery I have been advised to take rest and not undertake long journeys,” she added.