CHENNAI: Health minister Ma Subramanian has ordered a departmental inquiry against a doctor who was not on duty at the Kancheepuram Maduramangalam Upgraded Government Primary Health Center on Sunday.

The minister conducted a surprise inspection of the Kancheepuram Maduramangalam Government Primary Health Centre on Sunday morning. He found that the duty doctor was not present at the PHC but had signed the attendance register. The minister called the doctor on the phone and he informed the minister that he was on duty in the Ayush programme.

The minister also interacted with the patients at the hospital. One of the patients at the hospital, a pregnant woman and a media person who were at the hospital, had informed the minister regarding the poor and rude response from the doctor when approached by the patient. The patient alleged that she was admitted during labour and had approached the other staff members since she had unbearable pain. However the staff members responded in a rude manner," she informed the minister.

The doctor is said to have signed the attendance register and said that he was on the Ayush programme for replacement duty. The Health minister has ordered the Kancheepuram District Deputy Director of Health Services to conduct a departmental inquiry and submit a report based on the complaint of the patient.

She had delivered a child at the Maduramangalam Upgraded Government Primary Health Center recently. The state health department officials will be submitting a report on the alleged absence from duty of the duty doctor.