Mysuru Zilla Panchayat Prashant Kumar Mishra Transferred over the suicide of Dr Nagendra

Buckling under pressure from the medical fraternity, the Yediyurappa government has transferred Chief Executive Oficer (CEO) of Mysuru Zilla Panchayat Prashant Kumar Mishra over the suicide of Dr Nagendra, a Taluk Medical Officer (TPO) at Nanjanagud in Mysuru. The doctor was only transferred, but not suspended as demanded by the medical fraternity who alleged that the IAS was being shielded by the powers-that-be.

Dr Nagendra was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his quarters in Alanahalli on August 20 unable to bear the pressure exterted by his senior officers. The doctor had been staying alone while his family was residing in another area in Mysuru.

A day after the doctor's suicide, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had ordered an inquiry into Nagendra's death and the role of Mishra in driving the doctor to commit suicide. The Chief Minister also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 50 lakh to the kin of Dr Nagendra. Further, the CM also directed the regional commissioner to submit a detailed report within a week on the factors that led to the tragic suicide of the government doctor.

The police had registered a first information report against Mishra for allegedly abetting the suicide of Dr Nagendra, while the doctors and medical staff at Mysuru had launched a protest demanding that Mishra be suspended.

All services barring emergency cases were affected at various hospitals in Mysuru.and Nanjanagudi following the suicide of Dr Nagendra.

Dr Nagendra, known to be committed and sincere, is believed to have played a major role in preventing the spread of Covid_19 during the Nanjangud pharmaceutical company cluster incident. The medical fraternity termed the suicide as murder. Dr Raveendra, former president of a doctors' association stated, he was a good doctor. He couldn't handle the pressure exerted on him to conduct more tests what with daily targets. A good doctor has been killed."

The entire medical fraternity was up in arms against the district administration for imposing daily targets in conducting rapid antigen tests in his taluk.

Several doctors accused Mishra of abetting the pressurising Dr Nagendra to achieve the unreasonable and unachievable targets.

Dr Nagendra had been working as the Nanjangud taluk health officer for the last one year. He couldn't take the extreme levels of pressure exerted by his senior colleagues in the hospital, and he even recorded an audio conversation of his colleague taking him to task.

In the audio conversation, Dr. Nagendra was taken to task by a senior district level officer for not conducting enough tests. "How many swabs have to be taken and how many are you extracting? Is it a joke? Have you come here to play? You are playing with the patients. For a week if you are conducting only 25 or 26 (COVID) tests (a day), then I will teach you a lesson. You were supposed to do 150 tests a day. Go to markets and streets to conduct more tests. Will you lose your limbs if you step out on to the streets," the officer was heard shouting at Dr. Nagendra.

Dr Nagendra was carrying out his duties amid the danger of exposing his family to the infection by living away from his family, relatives, and friends. Dr Nagendra has reportedly not met his children or his wife for more than six months. Ever since the outbreak of coronavirus, Nagendra has not taken any leave. He was staying alone for six months because he was afraid that his family may get the coronavirus.