Doctor takes selfie during surgery, government orders probe
Koraput (Odisha), Nov 2 : A probe was ordered into alleged clicking of a selfie by a doctor in an operation theatre (OT) of a government hospital in Odisha's Koraput district and circulation of the photo on social media, officials said on Friday.
A woman in labour was rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) at Jeypore for delivery on Wednesday and a woman doctor clicked a selfie inside the OT with a group of doctors conducting operation in the background, they said.
It is illegal to carry mobile phone and clicking photos inside an OT. The circumstances in which the photo was taken and how it got circulated in social media are being inquired," said Lalit Mohan Rath, Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) of Koraput.
After getting the inquiry report, necessary action will be taken, he said.
However, as the selfie photo started doing the rounds in social media, the district health administration drew flak from different quarters.
The OT is not a tourist spot to click photographs.
How could the doctors be so negligent. Strict action should be taken against those responsible for clicking and circulating the photo. Also, strict instruction should be issued to prevent recurrence of such incident, said Ajit Sahu, a Jeypore based activist.
When contacted, the woman doctor Sasmita Das said it was a collective decision of all the doctors present inside the OT to take the photo and to upload it in the DHH WhatsApp group as operation took place for the first time at the hospital's OT after it was shifted to its new building at Phulobado, situated on the outskirts of Jeypore on October 15.
We were excited as operation started in the new DHH building and the photo was uploaded in out DHH WhatsApp group.
I dont know how it got leaked to other groups and circulated in social media, she said. I had never thought that it will create problems and I am apologetic for it, she said.
It may be recalled that after the sub-divisional hospital of Jeypore was upgraded to a DHH on August 22, 2017, the DHH was shifted to Jeypore from Koraput on October 15 and is functioning inside the premises of mother and child ward situated at Phulobado.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
CM Siddaramaiah alleges ‘criminal conspiracy’ in Sringeri recount, vows legal action
Bengaluru (PTI): Alleging a “criminal conspiracy” by BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj in the Sringeri Assembly poll recounting, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said the outcome was manipulated after valid postal ballot votes in favour of Congress leader T D Raje Gowda were tampered with during the recounting process.
Following a Karnataka High Court order on an election petition filed by Jeevaraj, challenging Raje Gowda’s election, the reverification and recounting were conducted on Saturday.
After the reverification and recount of postal ballots for the Sringeri Assembly constituency, votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda were reduced by 255, the returning officer said.
A report on the matter has been submitted to the Election Commission of India for further action, the officer added.
Congress leader Raje Gowda had won the 2023 Assembly polls from Sringeri by 201 votes, defeating his nearest rival Jeevaraj.
Addressing a press conference in Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah said the High Court had directed the recounting of postal ballots and that irregularities were noticed during the exercise conducted on May 2.
“This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” Siddaramaiah said, alleging that valid votes cast in favour of Raje Gowda were altered after being accepted by counting agents of all parties, including Congress, BJP, and JD(S).
He claimed that during the recounting of postal ballots, 255 votes were initially accepted as valid by all agents but were later tampered with by subordinate officials.
“There is a second mark on the votes polled in favour of Raje Gowda. They had accepted these as valid votes. Subsequently, another mark was made by officials. This is a clear case of criminal conspiracy,” he said.
When asked who was behind the alleged conspiracy, the CM replied, “It was hatched by Jeevaraj and others. It is planned.”
Siddaramaiah further alleged that the returning officer acted improperly by declaring the result despite the presence of an Election Commission observer during the recounting.
“Immediately after the counting, the returning officer announced the result. He should not have done so; this is against the law,” he said.
He pointed out that Raje Gowda had originally won by 201 votes, but after the recounting, the BJP candidate was declared the winner by 52 votes.
“The BJP has committed a criminal act of conspiracy. This is not vote chori but vote dacoity,” he alleged.
The CM said a police complaint had already been filed by Raje Gowda’s election agent, Sudhir Kumar, and emphasised the need for electoral integrity.
“We want transparency and free and fair elections. That is what our Constitution mandates,” he added.
Stating that the government would pursue legal remedies, Siddaramaiah said, “We are preparing an appeal challenging the returning officer’s announcement in a court of law.”
Responding to a separate query on elections in other states, the CM said there appeared to be an anti-incumbency factor in West Bengal, while results in Tamil Nadu were “surprising,” adding that Vijay’s party was emerging as the largest there.
Following the victory of party candidates in Bagalkote and Davanagere South, Siddaramaiah expressed confidence about future electoral prospects in Karnataka.
“Even in 2028, we will win the Assembly elections. We will come back,” the CM said.
Siddaramaiah added that he would order a forensic examination into the alleged tampering of postal ballots.
