Finally, after a five-year wait, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has got a full-time health department head. Dr Ramchandra Hankare, state service additional director, will be the new PMC health chief.
The post of health chief was vacant since 2013 after the retirement of then head RR Pardeshi. Following the retirement of Pardeshi, the civic body had given additional charge of the health chief to other officers.
The civic administration, in a letter to the state government, had stated that it does not have a qualified staff to head the health chief office. The state wrote to the PMC that no officer from the state service is interested to head the post. However, the civic administration wrote a letter to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis requesting him to depute someone from the state service to PMC.
Meanwhile, Dr Hankare who is working in Pune division showed interest to take up the post as he had worked in Sangli Municipal Corporation in the past. By considering this, the CM immediately approved him as PMC health chief.
The appointment order has been issued to the PMC and Dr Hankare is likely to join the office in the coming two-three days.
{{/usCountry}}The appointment order has been issued to the PMC and Dr Hankare is likely to join the office in the coming two-three days.
{{/usCountry}}With no full-time official to head the office, the health department was facing a lot of problems as the person having additional charge was unable to take any bold step. The PMC has good infrastructure to provide health services to citizens and runs various hospitals and clinics in the city.