Tainted Junior Doctor heads Valleys Prestigious Hospital

In one of the gross violations of the Government order, Director Health Kashmir, Dr Saleem-ur-Rehman, has asked a suspended junior Assistant Surgeon in the department to continue to head one of the prestigious hospitals of Kashmir valley, Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial (JLNM) Hospital, Rainawari in Srinagar.

The Health and Medical Education Department under No. 118/HME of 2012 dated 17/02/2012 suspended the In-charge Deputy Medical Superintendent Jawahar Lal Nehru Memorial (JLNM) Hospital, Dr Iqbal Sofi, on February 17 but he continued to hold the chair. No doubt he was In-charge Deputy Medical Superintendent officially but under verbal orders of the Director Health Services, Kashmir, he was acting as In-Charge Medical Superintendent.

The Commissioner Secretary Health and Medical Education, G A Peer , suspended Dr Sofi on the basis of the preliminary inquiry conducted by the inquiry officer appointed by Health and Medical Education Department vide Government order No. 14-HME of 2011 dated 10-01-2011.

Dr Sofi was transferred from Sub-district Hospital Chadoora in district Budgam when the inquiry in ` 35 lakh scam in the hospital was going on against him. Despite being a junior most and a tainted official, holding only MBBS degree, he was posted as In-Charge Deputy Medical Superintendent of JLNM hospital in place of one of the senior most doctors, Dr Shafaqat Hussain on January 8, 2012. He was given drawing and disbursing powers on January 9, 2012.

Sources said that Dr Sofi was asked to head the hospital under the directions of the Health Minister Sham Lal Sharma.

After the suspension of Dr Sofi, Assistant Director School Health, Dr Masooda Shah was given charge of In-charge JLNM hospital but she was not allowed to join by Dr Sofi, who continued to hold the chair and issue without date orders in the hospital. Dr Masooda has decided not to confront the powerful Dr Sofi who reportedly has got patronage of the Director and the Minister.

Sources said that the Commissioner Secretary is being bypassed by the powerful Director, who has the patronage of the Minister. The Director has reportedly told Dr Sofi to continue as the In-charge of the JLNM hospital till he gets his suspension order cancelled from the Ministry. Even today, he was sitting on the Medical Superintendent's chair and chaired a meeting that was organised for giving farewell to the recently retired and transferred doctors. The meeting that began at 3 pm ended at 3.30 pm.

Dr Sofi is junior most Assistant Surgeon at Serial No. 1035 in the seniority list of Assistant Surgeons of the department issued by the Health and Family Welfare Department under Government order No. 556-HME of 2011 on 17-11-2011. Dr Shafaqat is at Serial number 195 in the same list and has MBBS, PG and DHM degrees and has served in the department for past 27 years.

Dr Shafaqat who was transferred to Directorate of Health Services got his transfer order stayed from the Jammu and Kashmir High Court on January 13 this year.

Dr Shafaqat is retiring by the end of this year and his transfer was done against the rules. He is not the only officer whose boss is a junior tainted officer but there are large numbers of junior doctors who have been given the coveted posts in the Health Department during past few years.

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