Vijayawada: Five doctors and four other staff members of the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) Hospital in Rajahmundry have been suspended on charges of dereliction of duty following a surprise inspection by Labour Minister Vasamsetti Subash on Monday.
Reasons for Suspension
During the inspection, the minister examined attendance registers and found multiple irregularities, including:
- Failure to mark attendance by some staff members.
- Staff registering attendance but leaving without performing their duties.
- Unconvincing explanations given by staff when questioned about their responsibilities.
Taking serious note of these violations, the minister directed the Insurance Medical Services (IMS) director to take immediate action. Consequently, suspension orders were issued on Tuesday against the nine employees involved.
Government’s Stand on Healthcare Standards
The IMS director reiterated that the state government is committed to providing quality healthcare to ESI subscribers and their families. He emphasized that negligence and indiscipline in patient care will not be tolerated.
An official inquiry into the issue is currently underway, and further action will be taken based on its findings.
