Doctor wins battle against the government, finally

KOLLAM: The sterling services of a government doctor have triumphed against the machinations of the politicians.   Dr. Shahirsha, the superintendent of Punalur taluk hospital, who made it a well-equipped multi-specialty hospital, was shunted out overnight to the Thiruvananthapuram general hospital four months ago. 

This was following the  alleged intervention of  the health minister under the influence of a local Congress leader who was against the developmental activities of the doctor at the Punalur hospital.  But he has now been reinstated at the taluk hospital following an order by the court.

Dr. Shahirsha had moved the court under the inter-caste marriage protection Act.   Dr. Shahirsha’s wife Dr. Sindhi is also working with him at the Punalur taluk hospital as a gynaecologist.

The government argued that reinstatement  should not be claimed if one is promoted and sought three more months’ time to take further action.

However, the court asked it reinstate him within a month and fixed December 6 as the deadline. The doctor filed a contempt of court petition after the deadline and  the  government appointed him at Punalur  hospital on January 12.

“I have no complaints against anyone and am happy that I got back to the hospital which had achieved the Kerala accreditation standard for hospital (KASH) through my efforts. I wish all the institutions under the health services should be efficient and become   role models for others in the public sector,” Dr. Shahirsha told DC.

Under the doctor, the  hospital could boast about the lowest caesarean rate in the state by implementing the first painless delivery facility in a government hospital. In his absence,  over 50 percent  delivery cases were lost to the hospital and private hospitals and lab businesses thrived in Punalur. “It is ultimately the quality that suffers,” said the doctor.