Karnataka Doctor turns to driving Auto-rickshaw to make ends meet after tussle with IAS officers

Karnataka Doctor turns to driving Auto-rickshaw to make ends meet after tussle with IAS officers

Mangalore Today News Network / News18

Bengaluru, Sep 10, 2020:    A 53-year-old government doctor’s fate turned hapless in Karnataka when he refused to help an IAS officer get a posting in 2018. Dr Ravinder MH, a former reproductive and child health officer, is now driving auto-rickshaw to earn his livelihood after serving in the health and family welfare department in Ballari district for 24 years.

 

Ravinder’s vehicle displays a text that reads: Harassed By the IAS Officers’ Misrule.

A brawl started between Ravinder and the Zilla Pnachayat CEO when the latter found a technical error in outsourcing health staffs. Despite ’proving’ him innocent, Ravinder had to face the brunt of it, reports Times of India.

Ravinder, who hasn’t received his salary for the past 15 months, was suspended on June 6,2019 and after approaching the Karnataka Administrative Tribunal (KAT), order was issued for him to reinstated.

However, Ravinder was then appointed as the senior medical officer at Sedam General Hospital, Kalabaurgi district in December. This post of a taluk came as a demotion to Ravinder, who claimed that he has received accolades for serving at the zilla level for 17 years and improving it’s Ballari distrct’s healthcare system.

After approaching the KAT once more, an order came to have him posted at a district level hospital. Ignoring the order and citing coronavirus pandemic, the dearth of health staffs, Ravinder wasn’t transferred to any.

Speaking to TOI, he said when the order came there was no emergency of the pandemic and many doctors inclduing one from the Sedam hospital was transferred. However, he is yet to receive his transfer order and has filed a contempt petition scheduled to be heard on September 11.

Following the unfortunate incident, Ravinder finally decided to move back to his home town in Davanager city and eke out his living. Unwilling to join private health sector, as for the license he has to visit the IAS officers, he decided to become an auto-rickshaw driver.

After being declined a loan from several commercial banks, Ravinder could finally procure a sum from a private finance agency.

The additional chief secretary of the health and family welfare department has affirmed to look into the matter.