Hindu Rao Hospital fires doctor for ‘diverting PPEs’, doctors’ forum cries foul; Health Minister steps in

Even as the country is battling against the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic and medical staff is facing a shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Hindu Rao Hospital, run by BJP-ruled North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), has terminated the services of a resident doctor after charging him with “diverting PPEs to those who don’t require them.”

An order has been issued terminating the services of the resident doctor, Dr. Piyush Pushkar Singh, who worked with the hospital, for “bringing disrepute to the institution and deciding priority for the distribution of PPE” by NDMC Commissioner Varhsa Joshi.

She tweeted about the decision, without naming the doctor.

Progressive Medicos and Scientists Forum (PMSF) – an organization of doctors and scientists – has, however, countered the claims made by the Hindu Rao Hospital and said that Dr. Singh was terminated for raising concerns over mismanagement in the hospital.

Alleging that the hospital administration was displaying a ‘colonial mindset’, PMSF demanded restoration of Dr. Singh’s services and an inquiry into the matter.

Dr. Singh is said to have raised several issues pertaining to this ‘mismanagement’ besides shortage of “proper equipment and masks” at the hospital, in March, much before the PM announced a nationwide lockdown.

A showcase notice was issued to Piyush Singh on March 16 by the medical superintendent of the hospital, in which it was stated that he had “uploaded a video of the orthopedic emergency ward of the Hindu Rao Hospital at 4:29 pm on 14.3.2010 on Facebook along with derogatory statements.”

Singh was accused of “bypassing the channels available to you for addressing your grievance and directly recorded to social media”, and the notice had asked Singh to “explain within 24 hours” why he should not be terminated.

According to the PMSF, the video that was uploaded by Singh “showed seepage into the ward, which had existed there for many days without redress”.

“Health bureaucracy cannot fully be aware of such conditions and be mindful of improving these,” reads a statement issued by the PMSF.

Meanwhile, after several people raised the issue in various social media platforms including Twitter, the union health minister, Dr. Harshvardhan has asked Joshi to take appropriate redressal steps.