SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Sept 23: Dr Mritunjay Kumar Singh, Vice-President of the Jamshedpur chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), has raised objections over the invitation extended to Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta at the IMA state executive meeting held on Sunday evening in Jamshedpur.
In a protest letter addressed to IMA state president Dr AK Singh and secretary Dr Pradeep Kumar Singh, Dr Mritunjay Kumar Singh expressed his concerns, emphasising that the IMA is a non-political organization.
He highlighted that the executive meeting is a private matter for the doctors’ association, and the involvement of the health minister compromised the privacy of the IMA.
Concerns over political influence
“In the last five years, it is well-known how doctors have been mistreated in the state. Under these circumstances, inviting the health minister to the executive meeting sends the wrong message to the IMA members. I request you not to politicise the state IMA body or any branch, especially Jamshedpur,” Dr Mritunjay Kumar Singh wrote.
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Dr Singh, who has served as secretary of the Jamshedpur IMA chapter for a decade, voiced his concerns about the potential politicization of the organization.
No prior decision to invite Health Minister
Dr Mritunjay Kumar Singh further explained that no resolution was passed during the Jamshedpur IMA executive body meeting on September 17 regarding the health minister’s invitation. However, despite this, Health Minister Banna Gupta attended and addressed the members during the meeting held on Sunday, September 22.
Dr Singh alleged that the event seemed more like a felicitation ceremony for the health minister than a proper IMA executive meeting. He criticised the nature of the meeting, claiming it diverged from its intended purpose.
The IMA state chapter had originally called the executive meeting on Sunday, September 22, to discuss important issues such as the implementation of the Medical Protection Act (MPA) and amendments to the Clinical Establishment Act (CEA).
Dr Singh’s protest highlights the conflict between the meeting’s intended agenda and what he perceives as an unwarranted political influence.
