Kolkata: Uproar from the larger medical community against alleged irregularities in the recruitment of assistant professors for medical colleges forced the West Bengal Health Recruitment Board (WBHRB) to withhold the panel list pertaining to the scheduled caste candidates for pathology. The selected panel list published on Tuesday was recalled late on Friday night.
While not naming the candidate, the Friday night notice by the WBHRB read: "Some information has come to the notice of the WBHRB which may lead to non-eligibility of one candidate whose name has featured in panel list (Scheduled Caste), recommended for the post."
The merit list containing 96 candidates for the pathology assistant professor included that "one candidate" among the 16 from the SC category.
The Association of Health Service Doctors (AHSD) West Bengal took the name of Birupaksha Biswas, a postgraduate in pathology, in its letter to the principal health secretary, urging action against officials responsible for the recruitment.
The organisation also named Soutrik Ray, in the list for assistant professor in biochemistry, alleging that Ray drew dual remuneration in 2019, serving as a medical officer at Jalpaiguri District Hospital and as a PG trainee at North Bengal Medical College. Ray is the son of Susanta Ray, the vice-chairman of West Bengal Medical Council.
"Drawing dual remuneration from the govt exchequer amounts to financial fraud, and the inquiry is pending. In the case of Biswas, his senior residency was put under suspension pending departmental inquiry during the RG Kar movement. We apprehend there could be more tainted candidates on the list," said Utpal Bandyopadhyay, general secretary, AHSD Bengal.
The doctor community also raised questions about the integrity of the recruitment procedure and the credibility of the recruitment board. The Service Doctors' Forum (SDF) questioned the unprecedented 15 marks allotted for the viva voce, of which only five were actually in the hands of the examiners, while the remaining 10 were awarded by the officials of the recruiting authority.
"We demand a judicial probe into this, identify those responsible, cancellation of the appointments made through unethical means, dissolution of the WBHRB and the resumption of doctor recruitment and medical teachers through the Public Service Commission," said Durga Prasad Chakraboty and Sajal Biswas of SDF.
"How can a doctor under suspension be recruited as a medical teacher? We are thankful that the list was put on hold," said ENT specialist Abhik Ghosh, secretary, Protect the Warriors, and finance secretary, IMA Bengal. "Lack of honesty from a few people in the WBHRB and the medical education directorate is tarnishing the image of the govt," said head and neck onco surgeon Saurav Datta.