Ghaziabad: ‘Absent’ CMO’s salary to be withheld

The district magistrate on Wednesday conducted a surprise inspection of the district women’ hospital

The district magistrate on Wednesday conducted a surprise inspection of the district women’ hospital and later ordered that the salary of the district chief medical officer be stopped as the health department head was not present for the inspection.

The district magistrate, Ministhy S, sought an explanation for the chief medical officer’s absence. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Along with the stoppage of salary, the district magistrate, Ministhy S, also sought an explanation for the chief medical officer’s absence. The inspection took place on Wednesday morning and the DM inspected the operation theatre, wards and other areas of the newly built facility.

The chief medical officer for Ghaziabad district is Dr Ajay Agarwal.

“I have ordered (officials concerned) to withhold the salary of the CMO for the month of May. I have also served a notice seeking an explanation on why he was not present for the inspection. A separate show-cause notice has already been served to him for his absence during a recent major fire incident,” the district magistrate said.

Dr Agarwal had also failed to be present during a major fire that took place at a paint unit in Kavi Nagar late Sunday night. Along with the fire and police officials, the district magistrate herself went to the spot to supervise the rescue and firefighting operation that lasted for more than 12 hours, till Monday afternoon.

Dr Agarwal has been posted in Ghaziabad since 2011 and his brother is a senior bureaucrat in Lucknow.

The district magistrate also served a show-cause notice to a surgeon who was absent from duty from Sunday without giving prior information about the same and ordered that her salary be withheld. She also said that surgeries should not be referred to other hospitals.

The chief medical superintendent told the DM that in the absence of a surgeon, the surgeries were referred to private hospitals and patients suffered problems.

The chief medical superintendent was directed to ensure that a sufficient number of chairs and drinking water facility are available to patients visiting the hospital.