Subhas Chandra Pattanayak
Anarchy has many faces.
One face is Dr. Prafulla Kumar Patra, a government physician, who, instead of working at the place of his posting in a different district, has been operating a private clinic and hospital styled “The Child Nursing Home” at Bargarh.
He was arrested by the police under various sections of Indian Penal Code for serious criminal conduct; but has been enlarged on bail.
This has happened in the area to which the state health minister belongs; but surprisingly no departmental disciplinary action is yet taken against him.
On June 19, his Nursing home had attracted attention of the local media as plight of a poor man who had admitted his child there revealed financial exploitation and treachery in health care by the government doctor in his private hospital. As media persons tried to verify the truth, they were brutally beaten up by Dr. Patra and his family members.
The Bargarh Sambadik Sangha as well as the Media Unity for Freedom of Press had raised strong protests against such attack on journalists on duty by a Doctor who is not joining his duty on transfer.
His offenses are grave and punishable with imprisonment and fine. But the Orissa High Court was pleased to grant him anticipatory bail. The police arrested him and because of the anticipatory bail, released him.
Law has an inherent bizarre facet that helps illegalities get patronized by law in the name of law and unscrupulous fellows take advantage thereof to stay free despite having perpetrated serious crimes.
But who has stopped the health department to discipline the errant doctor, who runs a private hospital instead of joining his place of posting, that too in the very own place of the State Health Minister?