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Authorities change heads to cure Chavakachcheri hospital headache
View(s):By S. Rubatheesan
Last Friday, a 14-year-old girl who sustained minor injuries to her hand after falling from her bicycle was taken to the Chavakachcheri Base Hospital, but was told that the doctors had withdrawn from duties.
Her parents then took her to one of the three private hospitals close to the base hospital, where a bill of Rs 7,100 was handed to them for dressing charges, which included the charge for three stitches.
At the Chavakachcheri Base Hospital, doctors withdrew from their duties for three days from last Wednesday in protest against administrative steps introduced by Acting Medical Superintendent (MS) Dr. Ramanathan Archchuna after he assumed duties on June 14. Doctors claim these measures were not patient-friendly.
In a Facebook post that went viral, Dr. Archchuna criticised the conduct of consultants and medical officers, citing shortcomings in developing the hospital’s facilities despite millions of diaspora funds being channelled to the hospital in recent years.
He claimed that among the 25 medical officers and consultants attached to the hospital, only a handful report to duty as scheduled.
Dr. Archchuna also alleged that the new Accident and Emergency Care Unit (A&E) complex, built with funds from international donor agencies and diaspora groups, was yet to be operational due to the lack of support from medical officers, although it had been declared open three times in the past.
The unit was last declared open on October 10, 2022, with the participation of the Northern Province’s senior health officers.
Chavakachcheri residents staged a massive protest in front of the hospital on Monday, extending solidarity with the MS and urging health authorities to rectify the situation.
Dr. Archchuna stepped down after being summoned to the Health Ministry in Colombo. Dr. G. Rajeev assumed duties within hours in the presence of provincial and regional health services directors.
Addressing the media on July 5, Northern Province Health Director Dr. V.P.S. Pathirana said the “unacceptable and irresponsible behaviour of the acting MS forced his office to remove him from the post and appoint another acting officer to resolve the crisis.
“After Dr. Archchuna assumed duties, there were a lot of complaints against him. Two days ago, a team of medical officers and consultants came to my office to inform me that the environment was not conducive to carrying out their duties.”
After his office informed the provincial hierarchy and the line ministry, Dr. Pathirana claimed he was instructed to appoint another acting MS to the hospital and transfer Dr. Archchuna to the Provincial Health Services Office with immediate effect.
“In the interest of patients’ right to be treated, I was trying to implement that order, but the acting MS obstructed my duties. I went twice, even today (July 5), to facilitate the taking over of duties by the new acting MS. He obstructed our duties again, and we had to complain,” he said.
“A Health Ministry inquiry is underway based on the complaints we received. Until the findings of the preliminary investigations are known, we cannot say who is guilty or not. But considering the patients’ rights, we had to make some kind of arrangement to withdraw the acting MS and appoint another,” Dr. Pathirana said.
Dr. Archchuna attended a meeting on Friday at the Health Ministry in Colombo with senior Ministry officials. The meeting lasted for more than two hours.
“I have explained to them in detail what transpired in recent days in Chavakachcheri. I told my side of the story and the rationale behind the decisions I took during my tenure as acting MS,” Dr. Archchuna told the Sunday Times.
He expressed hopes that he would return to the North soon with a new task but added that he was also approached to work on a new project titled “Health Reformation” that comes under the Health Ministry.
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