Rajgarh: A senior gynaecologist from Rajgarh district, Dr Akanksha Singh, has been suspended by the Madhya Pradesh Health Department following a controversial WhatsApp status update that was perceived as a veiled criticism of local BJP MLA Amar Singh Yadav. The incident has triggered political and administrative ripples in the region.
Dr Singh, who had been serving at the District Hospital in Rajgarh for several years, was recently transferred to Neemuch. On May 27, shortly after assuming her new posting, she uploaded a WhatsApp status that indirectly alluded to political interference in her transfer process.
The post read:
“Remember, at your own expense and your desired place… Note: The respectable person who had written on the letterhead with great enthusiasm that I should be transferred, should pick up his application from the dustbin, it is still lying there.”
Viral Post Prompts Immediate Action
The status quickly went viral and caught the attention of BJP MLA Amar Singh Yadav. Taking exception to the tone and implications of the message, the legislator wrote to the Health Commissioner demanding action. The department responded promptly, suspending Dr Singh the same day and reassigning her headquarters to Khargone.
The suspension was issued under Rule 3 of the Madhya Pradesh Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1966, citing behaviour inconsistent with the expected decorum of government officials.
Background of Political Tensions
According to reports from News18, Dr Singh had allegedly arranged her transfer to Neemuch at her own expense. However, her critical status update after the move appears to have inflamed existing tensions. Previously, MLA Yadav had submitted complaints to the Chief Minister and the Health Commissioner regarding alleged irregularities in Dr Singh’s professional conduct during her tenure at Rajgarh.
Speaking after the suspension, the BJP MLA stated, “I had already informed the officials about the incidents in Rajgarh District Hospital. I will not tolerate anything that puts the lives of common people at risk.”
A Broader Context of Scrutiny in Public Healthcare
This case follows a growing trend of public scrutiny and disciplinary actions within the state’s healthcare system. Earlier this year, a doctor from Victoria Hospital was suspended over allegations of issuing fake medical certificates—another instance of growing accountability in the medical profession.
Dr Akanksha Singh has yet to publicly respond to the suspension order.
