Govt did not force JJ teachers, docs to quit: Minister

Professor Dr Ragini Parekh (left), Dr T P Lahane and others who had tendered their resignations

The state government has denied that politics is behind the mass resignations of nine teachers-doctors of the Opthalmology Department of Sir JJ Hospital. Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif told the Assembly that the teachers had resigned voluntarily, and not because of politics or irregularities in the teaching department. He specifically said there was no victimisation of Dr Tatyarao Lahane, who worked at JJ Hospital in an honorary capacity and who had resigned as the coordinator of state cataract panel.

Among other teachers to resign was Professor Dr Ragini Parekh, head of the department and honorary teachers. "Dr Lahane resigned three months before his term in the office ended," he said in reply to Congress's Vijay Wadettiwar and NCP's Anil Deshmukh.

‘Politics played a major role'

"Dr Lahane is a renowned eye surgeon who operated on thousands of patients. He is regarded as one of the best but he has been humiliated at JJ Hospital and Medical College. Politics played a major role in his and others' resignations. Dr Lahane and others were forced to quit," said Wadettiwar. It was widely said that the teaching staff had quit in the wake of the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), which had levelled allegations against the teachers.

According to Mushrif, Dr Lahane retired from the state service on June 30, 2021. Later, he was appointed to oversee the cataract committee. "He quit voluntarily three months before his term ended," the minister said, adding that the government will act on the inquiry report submitted by the Medical Education and Research Directorate.

‘Wrong to control everything'

BJP's Yogesh Sagar said Dr Lahane was a great doctor, but it was wrong to keep control of everything with the help of politicians. The new generation was also required to be prepared to take over responsibility, the MLA further said, adding the resident doctors had complaints against Dr Lahane. The minister said the JJ Hospital's three-member probe panel had reported that Dr Lahane had performed 698 surgeries between August and December 2022 even when he didn't hold any official/contractual position in the department.