SHILLONG, AUG 10: A doctor working under contract in Dr H Gordan Robert hospital was allegedly terminated from her service and asked to refund the salary just because she had applied for ‘maternity leave’
A church youths informed this to journalists at a news conference on Monday.
“The hospital authorities terminated Dr Rachael RA Rapsang, a Dental Officer appointed on contract basis, last month citing that there is no such provision for maternity leave,” Kitboklang Nongphlang and Ricky Cooper Pathaw, who came in the name of youths of the church alleged.
Substantiating their claims by producing documents (copy of which is also with this website), they said, Dr Rapsang had submitted the application for maternity leave of 9 months to the hospital’s Medical Superintendent, Dr David D Tariang on May 13.
According to them, Dr Rapsang had been serving in the hospital for the past 5 years, and her termination came after her contract was extended for another one year, which will expired on April next year.
As per the office order issued on March to this effect, the medical superintendent stated, “Dr Rapsang has been reappointed on contract service for another one year with effect from April 4, with the same salary of Rs 22, 500.”
However, in reply to her application for the maternity leave on July 16, Tariang said, “This is to inform you (Dr Rapsang) that the Executive Committee which was held on July 9, has regretted that the ‘maternity leave’ applied by you cannot be consider as there ‘there is no provision for such leave of contract service.’”
The letter further quoted Dr Tariang saying, “As such your (Dr Rapsang) service as a contract staff is automatically discontinued with effect from June 1, and the pay already drawn by you for June 15, is to be refunded.”
In her place, the two youths alleged that the hospital had appointed one Dr M Khata Khalid Nawas, MDS (Oral & Maxillofacial) as a Consultant Maxillofacial Surgeon on contract basis for a period of one year at a fixed salary of Rs 80, 000.
Expressing concerned over the issue, they said, “To say there is no provision for maternity leave is ridiculous on the part of the hospital authority.”
“Again if they say that there are no such provisions (for maternity leave) in the Memorandum of Association (MOA) of the hospital, then we would suggest that they better introduce the same at the earliest,” Pathaw and Nongphlang said while pointing out that such provision are mandatory whether in government or private organizations.- By Our Reporter
It is shameful on the part of the hospital to terminate a doctor who had served for 5 years just for the sake of applying maternity leave if the allegation is factual.