The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) yesterday gave the government two weeks to conduct an impartial investigation and prosecute the culprits who had caused damage to Consultant Oncologist Dr. Nadaraja Jayakumaran’s house in Jaffna on June 14.
If the government fails to take any tangible action within the two weeks, about 350 doctors, attached to the Jaffna Teaching hospital, would launch a strike in protest against the government’s inability to probe the incident, GMOA Assistant Secretary Dr. Nalin Ariyaratne told a Media Conference at GMOA head office yesterday (22).
Dr. Ariyaratne said that Dr. Jayakumaran’s residence was smeared with used engine oil on June 14. There were derogatory remarks written in Tamil on his parapet wall. His life was in danger. Dr. Jayakumaran used to cover many clinics outside the Jaffna hospital. But, due to lack security he had suspended visiting other clinics.
Many cancer patients outside Jaffna were affected. Although the incident took place on June 14, neither the police nor the Health Ministry had taken action to issue a complete report on the incident, he said.
When contacted, Jaffna Teaching hospital Director Dr. Ms. Bavani Pasupathyraja, dismissed all the allegations made against her administration. She said that all materials such as 16 girders and the generator, that were reportedly sold, were in the hospital premises. “When I assumed duties I wanted to clear the old items from the stores. I instructed hospital workers to get the generator repaired because there were some technical problems in it,” she stressed.
She said that Dr. Jayakumaran had complained to the police that a few clerks and she were behind the attack. It was wrong, she said.
By Don Asoka Wijewardena
Jaffna hospital docs trade allegations
By Don Asoka Wijewardena
Jaffna Teaching Hospital Consultant Oncologist Dr. Nadaraja Jayakumaran yesterday accused the present hospital administration of damaging his residence after he revealed a plethora of irregularities and malpractices in the hospital.
On June 14 at about 1.30 a.m. a gang had shattered the windows of his residence and smeared the walls with burnt engine oil.
He had complained to the Jaffna police and two constables had been detailed to guard his residence.
Jaffna police were investigating the attack, the Government Medical Officers’ Association said.
Dr. Jayakumaran told The Island that the present hospital administration was involved in massive corrupt practices such as selling hospital property to outsiders for a song, defrauding public money, mismanaging wards by giving priority to the hospital director’s favourites and refusing to accept the appointments of an oral maxilo-facial surgeon, oncologist and senior registrar.
He said that the hospital had recently sold six iron girders to a person for Rs. 1 million. A generator which could supply electricity during black outs had been taken to a press, located in the Jaffna city, with the consent of the hospital director. It was later found that the generator was sold to the press. A few CEB engineers had been detailed to attend to the repairs at the hospital. But, without calling them, the management had sold the generator to a private press.
The Health Ministry appointed a consultant oncology surgeon, oral maxillary surgeon and a few senior registrars, but the hospital director had rejected the appointments for reasons known only to him.
IS