Keonjhar: The district health authorities here Wednesday sacked a surgery specialist at Telkoi hospital in Keonjhar district after a video of the doctor demanding a bribe to hand over a post-mortem report went viral on social media. The matter came to the fore after the chief district medical officer (CDMO) Dr Kishore Chandra Prusty issued an order dismissing the surgery specialist Dr Ganapati Pradhan from service. The sacked doctor was posted as a surgery specialist at Telkoi community health centre with funds sanctioned by the district mineral foundation (DMF).
Reports said that Kalabati Behera of Khajuria Sahi in Kardangi village under Telkoi police limits had drowned February 5. Police seized the body and sent the body for postmortem to Telkoi hospital. An autopsy was conducted but the family members of the deceased had to take rounds of the hospital to get the report. It was alleged that Pradhan demanded Rs 5,000 from the bereaved family to deliver the postmortem report. Later, the deceased family members succumbed to his demand and handed over the money to him a video of which went viral on social media. Reports about the doctor accepting the bribe from the bereaved family members were published and telecasted by various media outlets.
Concerned over the development, district Collector Ashish Thakare directed a probe into the incident. The CDMO Dr Prusty also issued a show cause notice to the accused doctor asking him to reply within three days of receiving the notice. Finally, the CDMO issued a letter-1507, dated March 28, 2023, directing his dismissal from service after the accused doctor failed to reply satisfactorily to the show-cause notice. The district Collector also confirmed the dismissal of Dr Ganapati Pradhan from his service at Telkoi hospital. The sacked doctor was appointed as a surgery specialist at the Telkoi hospital and received Rs 1.65 lakh as salary with funds sanctioned from DMF funds. Locals have questioned why no action was taken against the accused doctor by the state Vigilance department and why the bribe money was not recovered from his possession.