The health services, which were paralysed following unrest among the locals after of death of a minor on August 15, resumed from Monday after the Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) assured to address the issues of the locals after intervention of the local MLA.

The controversial in-charge doctor of the Government-run hospital ,GK Bhattar hospital, (CHC) Jaleswar, Dr  Ganesh Chandra Pal was shifted and Dr Dillip Patra was posted in his place.

Further ENT specialist Dr Girija Shankar Mahanta, while was posted in the hospital, Dr Sasmita Singh and Vinod Kumar Pradhan would continue to work as earlier, the order of the CDMO mentioned.

Notably, the locals  under the leadership of block vice chairman Brajamohan Pradhan sat on dharna and picketed the NH near Nadika, triggering road traffic disruption for around 3 hours, on Monday  demanding transfer of Dr Pal, the in-charge medical officer and posting of more doctors for smooth and effective management  of the health services in the CHC.

The situation was brought under control after the CDMO made orders following intervention of district Collector K Sudarshan Chakraverthy .

It may be recalled on August 15, a minor admitted in the hospital died during treatment.

The death sparked tension. The irate locals alleging negligence in treatment resulting death had ransacked the hospital. 

Since then they had been demanding transfer of in-charge Dr Pal and posting of more doctors for some key departments. In the stand-off, the health servicesof the centre was disrupted since then. 

Sources alleged that Dr Pal had been posted to Nabarangpur on promotion yet he didn’t opt promotion and continued in the hospital.

Pal became more controversial when he made the local mediapersons responsible for the ransacking incident.

Despite pursuance of Sub-Collector Nilu Mohapatra and SDPO Jaleswar Sudharsan Dash  the agitators remained unmoved insisting they would desist from the agitation when the   new doctor would arrive physically.

The newly-posted in-charge medical  officer Dr Patra while arrived  he was welcomed to the CHC with garlands.