COVID-19: Karnataka Health Official Suspended for Shoddy Screening

The official remained seated and pointed the temperature gun at passengers while talking on the phone.

Hours after a video of the incident went viral, the Karnataka government suspended a health department official for not conducing COVID-19 screening properly. The suspension was announced by Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramalu on twitter. He said disciplinary action was taken after the viral video came to the government’s attention.

The health department official was deployed at Tumkur railway station after the government decided to increase preparedness against COVID-19 across the state.

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In the video, the official, who is yet to be named by the health department, is seen seated, talking on the telephone and randomly raising the temperature gun instead of following the standard operating procedures.

This is how screening is happening at Tumkur Railway Station. The official isn't even reading the temperature and is busy on the phone and just doing namesake temperature testing. @sriramulubjp @mla_sudhakar @CMofKarnataka @PiyushGoyal @MoHFW_INDIA @SureshAngadi_ pic.twitter.com/BjrcoKSYoj

— Nagarjun Dwarakanath (@nagarjund) March 20, 2020

“He has been suspended for negligence and dereliction of duty. Doctors and other healthcare workers are working night and day for the people. In such times, such negligence should be contemned,” tweeted the Health Minister.

ಬೇಜವಾಬ್ದಾರಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಕರ್ತವ್ಯ ನಿರ್ಲಕ್ಷ ತೋರಿದ ಇವರನ್ನು ಸೇವೆಯಿಂದ ಅಮಾನತುಗೊಳಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ತಮ್ಮ ಹಿತವನ್ನು ಬದಿಗಿರಿಸಿ ಹಗಲು-ರಾತ್ರಿ ಜನಸೇವೆ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿರುವ ವೈದ್ಯರು ಹಾಗೂ ಆಸ್ಪತ್ರೆಯ ಸಿಬ್ಬಂದಿಗಳ ಕಾರ್ಯ ನಾಗರಿಕ ವಲಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಶಂಸೆಗೆ ಒಳಗಾಗುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಇಂತಹ ಸಮಯದಲ್ಲಿ ಈ ಅಧಿಕಾರಿಯ ಬೇಜವಾಬ್ದಾರಿ ನಡೆ ಖಂಡನಿಯ. https://t.co/vs5CjO7CAi

— B Sriramulu (@sriramulubjp) March 21, 2020