In a first, DPH to have three heads as Tamil Nadu continues to fight COVID-19

The decision came after Dr K Kolandaswamy, the director of DPH, retired from service on April 30.

Published: 04th May 2020 02:19 AM |

Disinfectants been poured in the Chennai Central Railway Station lobby. (Photo | Ashwin Prasath/EPS)

By Sinduja Jane

Express News Service

CHENNAI: In an unusual move amid the battle against COVID-19, the State government has appointed three senior officials to head the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPH).

The decision came after Dr K Kolandaswamy, the director of DPH, retired from service on April 30. The trio has been appointed as officers on special duty in the cadre of ‘Director’ of Public Health.

Among the new appointees, Dr T S Selvavinayagam, director of the Institute of Community Medicine at Madras Medical College, has been handling the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS) and Non-communicable Diseases Control Programme. He played a key role in designing the CMCHIS. Before being promoted, he was in the cadre of additional director (DPH). 

Besides him, two senior most additional directors in the DPH – Dr N Chitra and Dr P Vadivelan – have also been appointed as officers on special duty in the cadre of director of DPH. The arrangement comes as Dr Kolandaswamy and two senior additional directors of DPH – Dr K Sadasivam and Dr K Vanaja – retired on April 30.

As per the Health Department G.O. on April 1, “The government further examined the eligibility of Dr N Chitra and Dr P Vadivelan, additional directors of DPH, and found both of them eligible to hold the post of Director of DPH. The government accordingly direct that Dr N Chitra and Dr P Vadivelan be appointed as officers on special duty in the cadre of director of DPH.”

Health Department officials maintained that Dr Kolandaswamy would be reappointed as a special officer till the State tide over the crisis.

However, any order in this regard was yet to be issued till Sunday evening. Officials, however, said this is the first time the DPH is being headed by three directors.

Two among them were the senior-most in the department and couldn’t be bypassed during the appointment of the director, they added.