In the wake of the controversy surrounding Agriculture Minister B.C. Patil getting himself inoculated in the comforts of his home at Hirekerur in gross violation of COVID-19 protocol, the health officer of Hirekerur has been suspended now for dereliction of duty.
In an order that was signed by Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare K.V. Trilokchandra, it has been said that despite repeated training programmes and instructions, Health Officer of Hirekerur Taluk Z.R. Makandar had committed dereliction in his duties by administering vaccine to the Minister at his home in gross violation of protocol.
The order (issued on March 26) says that Dr. Makandar has been suspended pending disciplinary action for dereliction of duty. The Commissioner’s order comes following a report from District Health and Family Welfare Officer of Haveri district Rajendra Doddamani, based on the reply given by Dr. Makandar to the show-cause notice issued to him. The District Health Officer has recommended disciplinary action against the health officer and has also mentioned in his report that the health officer had consulted neither the District Health Officer nor the Deputy Commissioner before giving the vaccine shot to the Minister and his family members.
It may be recalled that on March 2, the Agriculture Minister [Mr. Patil] summoned the taluk health official and staff to his house and got the vaccine shots for himself and his wife. The video and photographs of this were subsequently circulated on the social media platforms evoking strong reactions from netizens and also from Opposition party leaders to the misuse of power and blatant violation of norms. After initially maintaining that he did not know the protocol, the MMinister had subsequently claimed that he had not done anything wrong.
In July 2020, five members of the Minister’s family, including Mr. Patil, his wife and son-in-law, were diagnosed with COVID-19 infection and they had undergone home isolation.
