The Principal of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) in Bihar, Narendra Pratap Singh, has been removed from his position after being absent during an inspection by Health Minister Nishant Kumar. Singh’s absence without prior leave during the minister’s visit on June 23 led to his replacement by Geeta Sinha as the new Principal of PMCH. The incident occurred during the Health Minister’s inspection when repeated attempts to contact Singh were unsuccessful, and he had neither applied for leave nor handed over charge.
Singh explained that his absence was due to health reasons as he had met with an accident before the minister’s visit, preventing him from reaching the hospital. He expressed dissatisfaction with the disciplinary action taken against him, stating that he was not given a chance to provide his explanation before the action was initiated. The Bihar government’s focus on enhancing government hospital operations and accountability in the health sector has led to increased scrutiny on institutions like PMCH, aiming to improve healthcare services and infrastructure.
The Health Department has not yet disclosed whether further disciplinary proceedings will be pursued in this matter, following the removal of the PMCH principal.
