Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 14: Alleged harassment of Government Pharmacists on duty in District Jail Udhampur has prompted Director Health Services Jammu to seek intervention of the Director General Prison, J&K, to look into the matter and take remedial measures in this regard.
A controversial order by the Superintendent District Jail Udhampur asking the Diploma holder Pharmacists to perform the duties of Class- IV Nursing Orderly, has added fuel to the fire with resultant call by the J&K Medical Employees Federation for boycott of duties by all Pharmacists in the Jail with immediate effect.
Alleged harassment of the Pharmacists in District Jail Udhampur had come into light last month following a detailed representation in this regard by the aggrieved employees to the Chief Medical Officer Udhampur.
In the representation, dated 3-12-2014, the Pharmacists alleged that despite performing of their services, they were subjected to ill-treatment and harassment by the Jail authorities who also did not allow them to take their meal and water in the jail premises.
These Pharmacists were particularly aggrieved over an order, number DJU/Esstt/14/1595-98, dated 23/12/2014, issued by the Jail Superintendent Rajni Sehgal, asking them to temporarily look after the work of a Nursing Orderly during the latter’s leave period for 15 days.
CMO Udhampur forwarded the representation cum complaint to Director Health Service Jammu, Baljeet Pathania, who took a serious notice of the alleged harassment and shot a letter to the Director General, Prison, J&K, seeking his intervention in the interest of the provisions of Health services to the jail inmates.
“They (Pharmacists) have shown their inability to perform duty in District Jail Udhampur due to unwarranted behaviour of the Jail Authority,” Director Health said in his communiqué, number DHSJ/Es-2/99-III/7161-63, dated 12-1-2015 to DG Prison while informing about the alleged misbehaviour and ill-treatment to the Medical employees besides the controversial order.
Meanwhile, up in arms over the alleged harassment of Pharmacists, Jammu Kashmir Medical Employees Federation convened an emergency meeting today under the chairmanship of president Sushil Sudan who took serious note of the attitude of Jail authorities. The meet unanimously decided that with immediate effect, no Pharmacist will attend duty in the District Jail Udhampur till proper inquiry is conducted and action taken against the erring officials.
Despite repeated attempts, the Superintendent Jail, Rajni Sehgal could not be contacted for her comments on the issue.
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