Two leaves’ symbol on OP slips at govt hospital in Pudukottai sparks row

‘Two leaves’ symbol on OP slips at govt hospital in Pudukottai sparks row

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Trichy:09.12.2020

The outpatient slips issued at a government hospital in Pudukottai district with ‘two leaves’ symbol on the back created a row on Tuesday. The slips are used by doctors to write basic details of patients coming to the hospital.

The hospital authorities withheld the slips after DMK functionaries created an uproar over the incident. While dubbing it a coincidence, deputy director of health services (DDHS) Aranthangi Vijay Kumar has sought clarification from the doctors on the incident. A few patients who went to the government hospital at Malaiyur village near Karambakudi were taken aback after noticing the ‘two leaves’ symbol, the poll symbol of the ruling AIADMK, on the back side of the slips. In a few slips, the symbol was mentioned as victory symbol seeking votes. Some of the patients approached the doctor raising the issue.

The slips were procured from a nearby printing press after the primary health centre ran out of slips. But the hospital staff had failed to notice the symbol and issued it to the patients. The slips were in use for the last two days.

DMK Pudukottai north district secretary K K Sellapandian said that doctors could have avoided the incident. Saying that the incident is very serious, he said a government hospital cannot campaign for a particular party by having its poll symbol on the outpatient slips.

The hospital authorities withheld the slips after DMK functionaries created uproar over the incident