On Thursday (March 31), a doctor named Nidhi Uniyal tendered her resignation from the post of Associate Professor at the Government Doon Medical College in Dehradun after accusing the Uttarakhand Health Secretary IAS Pankaj Pandey of high-handed behaviour.
In a letter to the State Secretary, Uttarkhand Chief Minister and the Health Minister, Uniyal informed that she was transferred from Dehradun to the Soban Singh Jeena Government Medical and Sciences college in Almora district on Pandey’s orders.
The former Associate Professor narrated, “I was asked to attend ailing wife of Mr Pankaj Pandey, IAS and Secretary Health, Government of Uttarakhand, at her residence. With due regard to the health secretary, I visited his residence with two of my hospital staff, leaving my running OPD and kept waiting number of patients in the hospital.”
Dr Nidhi Uniyal recounted that although she examined the patient with due diligence, there was a slight inconvenience caused due to the delay in the arrival of the blood pressure equipment, which had got left in the car. She claimed that the wife of the IAS officer then resorted to verbally abusing her, post which she returned home.
“…Wfe of Mr Pandey resorted to usage of unpleasantry words demeaning to my profession and conduct. To which I objected, felt bad and came back. Upon my return, I was asked to tender an apology to Mr Pandey’s wife. 5. As I am not at fault, I refused to tender an apology,” she informed.
According to the Associate Professor, she soon received a letter of transfer from the Government Doon Medical College in Dehradun to the Soban Singh Jeena Government Medical and Sciences College in Almora district of Uttarkhand.
“This is kind of toxic and I am a qualified and trained doctor from India’s premier medical colleges. Given this harassment at the behest of Secretary Health, I hereby resign from my post of Associate Professor with a plea that an action must be initiated against the concerned Secretary,” wrote Dr Nidhi Uniyal in her letter.
A copy of her letter of transfer was posted on the micro-blogging site Twitter by popular physician Amit Thadhani.
While speaking about the matter to Jagran, Health Secretary IAS Pankaj Pandey dismissed claims of ‘vengeance’ in the transfer of Dr Nidhi Uniyal. He said that the position of Associate Professor at the Soban Singh Jeena Government Medical and Sciences College in Almora had been lying vacant for some time. He dubbed the transfer as a ‘routine administrative affair.’