DGHS Dr Jagdish Prasad returns from leave, unhappy somebody else given charge
The health ministry witnessed some very heated moments on Tuesday afternoon when director general of health services Dr Jagdish Prasad returned from leave and got into an argument with special DG Dr B D Athani who had been given charge in his absence.
Dr Prasad found Dr Athani in his room and was not happy about it. The two men who go back a long way in Safdarjung Hospital of which both were at different points of time medical superintendents, ended up having a severe altercation. DGHS is the head of the technical wing of the health ministry.
Sudan, alerted about the ruckus between the two men intervened and presented Prasad with a choice – he was shown a suspension order and given the choice of either to willingly go on leave or be suspended. Dr Prasad chose the more honourable option.
Things came to such a pass that Union health secretary Preeti Sudan who sits two floors down on the first floor had to intervene. There is a pending inquiry against Dr Prasad because of which he had been asked to proceed on leave.
Sudan, alerted about the ruckus between the two men intervened and presented Prasad with a choice – he was shown a suspension order and given the choice of either to willingly go on leave or be suspended. Dr Prasad chose the more honourable option.
There has been a hush hush air in the ministry about the status of Dr Prasad ever since he went on leave and Dr Athani was given charge. Dr Prasad had left the government embarrassed when he dragged it to court refusing to retire. His position was that since the retirement age of doctors has been revised it applies to him too. Dr Prasad is a cardiac surgeon. The government’s contention is that the increase of retirement age for doctors to 65 years doesn’t apply to administrative positions. However in court Dr Prasad won and was allowed to continue but relations between him and the ministry understandably soured, say people in the know. The present inquiry into allegations that he influenced an appointment, was instituted soon after that.
Said a source: “As per the rules somebody who has a pending inquiry cannot remain in his position as he may influence the inquiry. DGHS after all is a very important position and such a move would set a very bad precedent. The suspension order was never actually served. Mischievous elements may have leaked it. The factual position is that Dr Prasad continues on leave.”
