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Deputy medical commissioner ’s driver attends patient at Tarn Taran civil hospital, plaint filed
Despite receiving a complaint from a woman against the driver around 10 days ago, no action was taken by Tarn Taran civil surgeon (CS) Dr Gurpreet Singh Rai.
In a case of gross medical negligence, the driver of deputy medical commissioner (DMC) Dr RS Padda has allegedly been attending patients in his room at the district-level civil hospital of Tarn Taran. Driver Ajay Kumar, who has been attached to Dr Padda for the last around seven years, has also been accused of fleecing money from the patients by advising medical tests from a private firm in the name of the senior district-level doctor.
Despite receiving a complaint from a woman against the driver around 10 days ago, no action was taken by Tarn Taran civil surgeon (CS) Dr Gurpreet Singh Rai.
Jaspreet Kaur of Dhunda village, situated along Beas, submitted her complaint to the civil surgeon on July 31. The woman had also attached the official slip of Tarn Taran civil hospital meant for patients with the driver’s purported handwriting prescribing medical tests along with her complaint. The slip also contains the stamp of Dr Padda along with a signature, apparently that of the doctor.
“I had come to the hospital for the treatment of my cough. When I entered Dr Padda’s room, an employee was sitting there. The employee wrote some tests and X-ray on my medical slip and sent another employee along with me to get them done from a private lab. The lab attendants had asked me to pay ₹2,000 for the tests, but I had only ₹800. A few tests were conducted. Later, I came to know that all the tests are conducted free of cost in the hospital,” the complaint reads, the copy of which, along with the medical slip, is with HT.
When contacted the civil surgeon initially feigned ignorance. However, when he was told about the copy of the complaint and the medical slip, Dr Rai said the matter has come to my attention today.
“I have thrown the driver out of the doctor’s room. We are also issuing a general advisory to all the employees to not sit in any doctor’s room.” When asked about any disciplinary action against the driver and DMC, he said a probe is underway.
Senior medical officer (SMO) of the hospital, Dr Kawaljit Singh said he had locked Dr Padda’s room.
“Dr Padda is a medical specialist, but even he can’t attend to general patients in the hospital premises as his duties are to look after the drug de-addiction programme in the district. We have locked Dr Padda’s room in the hospital after the matter came to light,” Dr Singh said, adding, “It’s up to the civil surgeon to take action and conduct an inquiry.”
Dr Padda, however, refuted all the allegations including that he was getting a commission from a private lab.
“I am the highest-ranking officer in the district under the Punjab health system corporation (PHSC). As per the government rules, I can sit in the hospital and attend to patients, besides overseeing my district-level programme. I was in the deputy commissioner’s office when my room was locked. I have written to the higher authorities as these allegations have dented my reputation.”
Regarding allegations of his driver attending patients in his stead, he said, “Nothing such thing has happened. The allegations against me are malafide. During my 25-year-long service, I have done nothing wrong.”
