Angry that a physically challenged doctor failed to welcome him when he arrived at a hospital for an inauguration, Uttar Pradesh Minister Sanjeev Gond ordered that he be transferred out of his constituency and “to some jungle”. Ignoring the doctor’s pleas that he was attending to a patient, the minister claimed he did not know how to behave.
The minister later said the doctor probably did not know he was coming. “If he knew, his behaviour would have been fine,” Mr Gond said, adding that he wanted the facilities at the hospital to be up to the mark because many poor patients went there for treatment.
A video of the minister’s angry phone call ordering the doctor’s transfer has now gone viral, prompting an attack from the Congress and the Samajwadi Party.
‘Is There No One Else?’
When Mr Gond, who is the Minister of State for Social Welfare and Scheduled Caste and Tribal Welfare, reached a Community Health Centre in Dibulganj in his constituency Obra in Sonbhadra district to inaugurate a solar power plant on Wednesday, he was welcomed by his supporters and some others, but not Dr Ravi Singh, who is the medical superintendent.
The minister entered the hospital, asked who the “main” person was, and then dialled the Sonbhadra Chief Medical Officer. A video shows Mr Gond seated on a table with Dr Singh opposite him and others around them. The minister asks the doctor why he’s wearing a mask, pointing out there are no patients around, and Dr Singh replies, “you can never tell”.
Mr Gond can then be seen calling the Chief Medical Officer and his side of the conversation, in Hindi, goes: “Who is the main person here? Why have you kept him here? Is there no one else? His behaviour isn’t right, because I came to the hospital and he does not know how to meet people.”
Dr Singh interjects, saying he had gone to meet the minister, but Mr Gond continues: “Send him outside… to some jungle… why do you keep people like this in my constituency? Send him somewhere else… He does not know how to talk to people. He may be behaving the same way with patients.” The doctor speaks up again, insisting that he does not behave wrongly with anyone.
‘Workers Welcomed’
Speaking to reporters outside the hospital, Mr Gond said the doctor did not know he was coming.
“There is an old hospital in Dibulganj. The doctor did not know I was coming. I don’t think he knew, because if he did, his behaviour would have been correct… but my workers welcomed… I reached on time. I have asked the Chief Medical Officer to ensure the facilities in the hospital are good because poor people go there from other areas as well. Anyone who makes poor people suffer, I will do the same to them,” the minister said.
Opposition Attack
Leaders from the Samajwadi Party and the Congress said the doctor was merely doing his job and putting patients first. The Uttar Pradesh government, they said, put protocol over the well-being of people.
“The medical superintendent was prioritising patients and the minister is getting angry. This Uttar Pradesh government and its minister care more about protocol than the health of people. The minister is asking for the transfer of a doctor who is doing his job diligently. Such a minister should be sacked,” said Congress Spokesperson Akhilesh Pratap Singh.
Joining the attack, Samajwadi Party Spokesperson Ashutosh Verma said, “The ministers in the government are such that they prioritise their welcome over things that are actually important. Asking for a doctor’s transfer to a jungle because you are not welcomed… the minister should have checked the facilities and whether people (at the hospital) are having any problems. But the BJP is more concerned about being welcomed, and this is a matter of concern.”
