Doing office duty, Patiala doctor promoted as teacher

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 18

A senior resident doctor of Government Medical College (GMC), Patiala, doing office work as a nodal officer (office work) at the office of the Director Research and Medical Education (DRME) in Mohali since her joining, has already been promoted to assistant professor rank.

The assistant professor is a teaching job and as per the Punjab Medical Education Service rules, a candidate will be eligible for the post only after having got a minimum teaching experience of two years as a senior resident, which she allegedly does not possess. However, the doctor claimed she used to work at the GMC twice a week, and the rest of the days she worked at the DRME office. The doctor further admitted she was full-time deployed at the DRME office for Covid preparations. The promoted doctor happens to be the wife of an IAS officer in Punjab. Though she had been working as a nodal officer at the DRME office, her original department was the paediatric unit.

Dr Baljinder Kaur, head of the Paediatric Department of Government Medical College and Rajindra Hospital, wherein the promoted doctor was supposed to work to gain experience, said, “Since my joining as the head of department in 2019, the promoted doctor did not show up in the department because she was posted at the DRME office as a nodal officer.”

A senior professor of the pediatric department said, “She (the promoted doctor) never did duties in the paediatric ward. Besides, no teaching class was taken by her.” However, the promoted doctor, while talking to The Tribune, said, “I had applied for the assistant professor job and the selection committee made the decision. I didn’t do anything wrong. Therefore, I can’t be discriminated against for being the wife of an IAS officer.” She said she had taken classes before she was posted at the DRME office.

Dr Akashdeep, joint DRME, said, “I am not aware of the promotion. However, I will look into the issue.” Dr Sujata Sharma, DRME, was not available for comments despite repeated attempts.

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