25 workers/employees recruited by SMO Khanna after violating all rules, alleges Lok Sewa Club

Khanna (Ludhiana): PD, Bansal, President Lok Sewa Club, Khanna said in his statement said that the record/information obtained under RTI Act reveals that 25 workers/employees have been recruited at local level by Senior Medical Officer (SMO), Civil Hospital, Khanna during the last few years, allegedly violating all the rules.

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, he claimed that Senior Medical Officer of the said hospital did not get any permission from the Government/ Punjab Health Systems Corporation for the recruitment of these 25 employees which was utmost important as per guidelines issued by P.H.S.C.

Further, he claimed that that no advertisement was issued, no selection committee was formed, no interview was held and no criterion was formulated/followed to recruit the employees. 

He said That the salary to these employees is being given from User Charges of the hospital at their own. Rs.1,80,355 were distributed as salary for the month of February, 2021 and the things are continuing for the last several years. 

He added in the beginning all the employees were being paid Rs. 3000-4000/- monthly salary based on duty hours but after some time adopting pick and choose policy names of some employees were forwarded by SMO of the hospital to the said outsourcing company and the selected employees were promoted to full DC rate salaries and now some are getting Rs.3000-4000/- per month, whereas, the near and dear employees are getting more than Rs. 13,000/- p.m. i.e. full DC rate. 

He said all the employees recruited under user charges perform their duties during working hours of the hospital which is almost equal for everyone i.e. daily 6 hours for 6 days of the week. But some especial employees are being paid full DC rate salary and the others get only Rs. 3000-4000/- per month. The PIO did not give information under RTI that how many hours duty is being taken from the employees recruited under user charges, he said.

He further said in the year 2013 the SMO office issued advertisement for recruitment of two Medical Laboratory Technicians through print media but the authorities recruited 5 Medical Laboratory Technicians which was much beyond the scope of the advertisement.
He claimed that the departments of the hospital for which these recruitments have been made, already possess sufficient staff e.g. at present there are 6 clerical posted filled but for the simple work of receipt and dispatch, the SMO recruited employee from user charges, Ayushman insurance work is also taken from such an employee, record keeping, MLR & PMR online work etc. All these duties are performed by these employees despite filled posted of 6 regular clerical staff. 

Bansal said their NGO will write to Vigilance Bureau Punjab and Government of Punjab for recovery of the funds allegedly misused by local authorities of civil hospital Khanna and legal action against the defaulters. 

Meanwhile, on being contact today SMO, Khanna Dr Sat Pal categorically denied all the allegations and said nothing wrong has happened. He said the appointments were done only for running the institution smoothly, adding, “everything is in the notice of competent authority”.