JEYPORE: Day-to-day activities of the health administration in Koraput have been affected due to the absence of a full-time chief district medical officer. The key post is lying vacant and currently being managed by an in-charge officer for a month now.
As per reports, CDMO Bhim Sahu assumed charge in January this year only to take voluntary retirement from March first week. The administration then asked district public health officer Arun Padhi to take charge until someone joins permanently.
Earlier before Sahu joined, the CDMO post was vacant from October to December and it had impacted the overall health administration in absence of a permanent official. The in-charge official is now looking after different wings including day-to-day administration, public health, and training of over 25 hospitals comprising over 4000 medical staff.
The problems mount amid continuing reports of summer diseases in inaccessible pockets where the CDMO has to rush to the spot leaving behind official works in Koraput.
Many important decisions concerning transfers, posting of health staff and infrastructure development in hospitals are also on hold. Official sources said posting of the CDMO is done by the State government and does not fall within the purview of the district administration.