FIR lodged against Patara CHChead for laxity in Covid work

Kanpur: An FIR was lodged against the in-charge of Patara Community Health Centre in the district over dereliction of duty on Monday night after which he was taken into custody.
According to reports, Dr Neeraj Sachan, in-charge of Patara CHC, who was also heading the Rapid Response Team and deputed at the Integrated Covid Command control Center (ICCC), allegedly failed to satisfactorily answer the queries of the district magistrate with regard to Covid-19 arrangements.
Sources informed TOI that Dr Sachan had been asked to send Rapid Response Teams to contact Covid patients and distribution of Covid kits.
The matter surfaced on Monday late evening when district magistrate Alok Tiwari convened a review meeting with regard to the team’s work at ICCC headquarter.
In the meeting, city magistrate Himanshu Gupta apprised the DM about the alleged irresponsible approach of Dr Sachan, who was supposed to perform in the sector of planning to contact infected persons and distribute Covid kits. But he had so far distributed only 12 percent of the kits.
The DM then questioned Dr Sachan, but he failed to satisfy him. The DM thereafter directed Dr R N Singh, in-charge of ICCC to take Dr Sachan to Swarup Nagar police station and lodge an FIR against him under the provisions of Disaster Management Act and Pandemic Act.
Later, Dr Anu Sachan, wife of Dr Sachan too reached the Swarup Nagar police station and handed over a complaint against senior officials alleging harassment but did not name anyone in particular.
She later said her husband Dr Sachan had taken charge of ICCC on April 23 last. Due to weak resources and heavy workload, it might be possible he could not manage the affairs properly. Therefore, lodging an FIR was not only injustice to him, but also very demoralising for him as well as the doctors’ fraternity.
Later, a group of doctors of PHCs and CHCs also assembled at Swarup Nagar police station and demanded that action against Dr Sachan should be withdrawn.
Inspector Swarup Nagar, Ashwani Pandey, told reporters, “Following a complaint by district authorities, an FIR against Dr Sachan under the Disaster Management Act and Pandemic Act has been lodged and further investigations are on in this regard.”