Kerala HC Expresses Concern Over 'Money Maniac Syndrome' Afflicting Medical Profession [Read Judgment]

Expressing serious concerns about the trend of Government Hospital Doctors who hunt for greener pastures and lucrative postings in the private sector or abroad and indulge in private practice, the Kerala High Court observed that the money-maniac syndrome that afflicts the medical profession has to be taken care of.

The Government had taken action against several doctors who unauthorisedly absent themselves from duty. The bench comprising of Justice V. Chitambaresh and Justice Ashok Menon was considering a petition filed by one of such doctors who was dismissed from service.

Though the bench agreed with the Tribunal that the termination without conducting a formal enquiry is not proper, it refused to uphold the order reinstating the doctor to the service with all benefits. It said that no member of the civil service shall be dismissed or removed from service except after enquiry in which he is given an opportunity of being heard in respect of the charges levelled against him.

It further noted that the doctor who was on medical leave, had applied for a Visa to go to United States of America. It was further observed that he did not even appear for medical examination by the Medical Board, but had gone for obtaining the Visa that was issued to him. The bench observed that, thus it is clear that, he was not completely bedridden as claimed by him in the leave application.

While disposing of the petition with a direction to conduct formal inquiry against the doctor, the bench remarked:

Medical profession like any other profession in modern times become part of consumerist and materialist society. The money-maniac syndrome that afflicts the medical profession has to be taken care of. The poor persons in the society, who come to Medical Colleges for treatment, are deprived of the best treatment because the Doctors are in hunt for greener pastures and lucrative postings in the private sector or abroad and even indulge in private practice; depriving thereby the patients in the lower strata of the society of good treatment at the Medical Colleges and the Government Hospitals. 

Click here to Read/Download Judgment