Dentist gets plum post, medicos cry foul

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 28

In a first, a dental doctor will head medical operations at Employees State Insurance (ESI) dispensaries and hospitals in the state. It is one of the top three posts in the Health Department.

The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association, which represents more than 4,000 government doctors, has flayed the decision. It said the government was playing “politics of favourtism”.

The state government has appointed Dr Rajesh Kumar Sharma as the Director, Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). Earlier, he had served as the Director (Procurement) and then as a dental doctor at MLAs’ hostel. The Director, ESIC, is considered the second most important post after the Director, Health.

Dr Sharma is a BDS graduate from Government Medical College, Patiala. He joined the Punjab Civil Medical Services (PCMS) in 1981. He was promoted as the Deputy Director in 2008, Director (Procurement) in 2013 and Director, Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC) in 2016.

“For dental doctors, the top post is the Additional Director, Dental. They never become Director, Health Services, because they are trained in dentistry and cannot run hospitals. In districts, they never become Civil Surgeons. That is why they are appointed as District Dental Officers,” said Dr Gagandeep Singh, president, PCMS Association. He said the government had violated norms by appointing Dr Sharma as the Director, ESIC.