PALAKKAD: R Prabhudas, former superintendent of Government Tribal Specialty Hospital at Kottathara, who was shifted to Tirurangadi taluk hospital in the wake of his disclosures over appalling lack of facilities at Kottathara leading to deaths of tribal infants, reiterated that his hands are clean and that he was taking up his new assignment with the head held high.
After he received the transfer order on Saturday, Prabhudas said that if he were to be blamed for developing the Kottathara Tribal Speciality Hospital, he was ready to accept it. The doctor said that he never expected any bouquets while working in Attappadi. Pattambi taluk hospital superintendent Mohammed Abdul Rehman has been given additional charge of the Government Tribal Specialty Hospital at Kottathara.
The health nodal officer remained unfazed despite his unceremonious exit “My hands are clean and I have always stood with the system for the welfare of Adivasis. I stand by the demand for instituting a vigilance inquiry which will help expose the real culprits,” said Prabhudas, adding, “When I came here, there was no proper healthcare for Adivasis. But, the situation is different now. My replacement Mohammed Abdul Rehman is an efficient doctor and therefore he will be able to take the hospital to greater heights”.
The transfer of R Prabhudas is unlikely to resolve the issues leading to deaths of tribal infants due to lack of proper medical care, said local residents. Instead, the issue can be addressed only by providing proper infrastructure facilities like paediatric ICU and services of additional senior doctors and paramedical staff, they pointed out.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Veena George termed the transfer of Prabhudas a routine one. She said that attempts were being made to create confusion after her visit to Attappadi. Earlier, despite the gag order on health department officials, Prabhudas had told reporters that CPM members of the Hospital Management Committee (HMC) took a ‘cut’ if the bills have to be passed. This was objected by him.
He had said that the unannounced visit of Health Minister Veena George to Attappadi was to stay a step ahead of Opposition leader V D Satheeshan who was scheduled to reach there the following day. During the visit of Health Minister Veena George to Attappadi, Prabhudas was summoned for a meeting in Thiruvananthapuram when in fact no such meeting had been scheduled. Prabhudas himself had stated that the principal health secretary’s directive to meet him in Thiruvananthapuram was intended to keep him away from Kottathara.
It should be noted here that officials who were proactive while serving in Attappadi and questioned wastage of public funds have had to face unceremonious exits. R Prabhudas, who had served in Attappadi for 25 years, is the latest.