Asha Devi, Additional Director, Directorate of Health Services, on Tuesday assumed charge as the District Medical Officer (DMO), Kozhikode, after the Health department decided to implement a December 9 government order related to transfer of DMOs in various districts.
The order had created some confusion in the department after N. Rajendran, the incumbent DMO in Kozhikode, chose to challenge his transfer to the directorate as additional director, in the Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT). Seven officials were included in the transfer order.
Dr. Asha Devi was shifted from the Ernakulam DMO to Kozhikode. Though she officially took charge on December 10, Dr. Rajendran assumed office again on December 13 and refused to hand over the responsibilities claiming that he had a favourable order from the KAT. Dr. Asha Devi was reportedly in the State capital attending a meeting at the time and had gone on leave thereafter. When she came back on December 23, Dr. Rajendran was still in the DMO’s chair. As she chose to sit on a chair in front of Dr. Rajendran, the curious turn of events became a talk of the town.
As Piyush M. Namboodiripad (Kannur) and V. Jayasree (Ernakulam) too had challenged their transfer orders in the KAT, the department subsequently stepped in to solve the crisis.
Quoting a KAT order dated December 19, K.J. Reena, Director, Health Services, on Tuesday issued another order saying the tribunal was not interfering with the government’s transfer order as all the employees who were transferred had not approached it. The KAT, however, found that the December 9 order was issued “in violation of principles of natural justice”. The tribunal later said the claims of all those covered by the transfer order could be considered after ‘affording an opportunity of hearing them’ and fresh orders could be issued within a month. Subsequently, the decision to implement the December 9 transfer order was taken.
Published – December 24, 2024 09:01 pm IST
