KOLLAM: Those who have come to the defence of J.R. Rajesh, 39, in his hour of need are not political parties but the differently-abled and paraplegic patients of the palliative care unit of the Kollam district hospital. They are doing it because they have availed of the care and service of Rajesh, a driver with the unit. Rajesh alias Rajesh Thengilazhikathu had quit his job as a building contractor to become a driver to help the bed-ridden. But now, he has lost his job due to the internal politics played by the hospital authorities. The patients staged a protest in front of the district hospital on Monday against his ouster by the hospital maintenance committee.
Rajesh hailing from 'Thengilazhikathu,' Karikkode here, has completed over five years of service as a contract staff with the palliative care. He used to care for the bedridden patients by visiting them in their homes once in a week. He also spent his meagre wages for the welfare of the patients providing them with medicine and food. "After completing civil diploma, I became an entrepreneur starting a construction company and giving employment to 60 persons. But I wanted to do charitable activities and joined as a driver with the palliative care unit five years back. Now the authorities have plotted against me to oust me," Rajesh told DC. Rajesh was allegedly denied half of his salary last month citing that the house visit programme was only for 15 days, against which he complained with the district panchayat.
This provoked the authorities to act against him. "With the intervention of the district panchayat I was given complete salary. Meanwhile, when I approached the medical officer with a request to repair the vehicle, he abused me and manhandled me. I complained to the hospital superintendent. In the hearing, they took the statements from other staff members who said that I had failed to fill the log book and they asked me not to come for the job since Friday," he added. "The hospital maintenance committee has decided to oust him temporarily as he was found irregular in his duty. He has also failed to maintain the log book for the works. The inquiry findings are all against him," hospital superintendent A.L. Sheeja told DC. Meanwhile, the patients have warned of continuing their protest if he is not reinstated.
