Sambalpur: With the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) Dr Ashwini Pujahari being served a show-cause notice for his ‘salt therapy’ and asked to go on leave till the notice is disposed, the Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA) on Saturday put their three-week-long agitation on hold.
The association took the decision at its general body meeting. The junior doctors will join duty at 2 pm.
They had resorted to cease work on November 17, accusing Pujahari of unethical clinical practice and professional misconduct and demanding his removal from the director post.
On Thursday, the association had issued a press release stating that the director performed unwarranted and unapproved surgeries on poor and destitute patients without written consent. Pujahari was also accused of using table salt and lemon juice on many patients without approval from the Drug Controller of India.
The JDA had given the state government 48 hours for Pujahari’s removal and cancellation of his registration by the Medical Council of India.
Notably, videos of Pujahari using table salt and tabla therapies had earlier gone viral.
The JDA claimed that a cancer patient of Chhattisgarh, whose surgery was conducted by Pujahari using table salt at the affected place, had died. The doctor, however, refuted it.
“My method of treatment was right. His health condition is stable now and he will come to VIMSAR again,” Pujahari said.
Giving into their demand, the VIMSAR director withdrew from the surgical practices as the in-charge of Unit-I of the department, which he had informed the head of Surgery Department in a letter on Friday afternoon. He, however, refused to resign as VIMSAR director.
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