Not aware how CD was leaked: CMO

Nitish Sharma

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, January 30

Vandana Bhatia, civil surgeon and chief medical officer (CMO) at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital, said she was not aware of the source from which the CD of a conversation between Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Krishan Bedi and her was circulated in the media.

The civil surgeon and the minister had a verbal spat over phone on January 27 and the audio recording of the conversation between them came in media.

Talking to The Tribune, Vandana Bhatia said, “The CD was not released by me. Since the allegations were serious, I have given my representation and handed over a copy of the CD to the Additional Chief Secretary in Chandigarh on Wednesday which was later sent to the Chief Minister.”

Replying to a query, Bhatia said, “I am yet to hear from Health Minister Anil Vij and have replied to the letter received from the Health Department.” On the other hand, the district unit of the Haryana Civil Medical Services Association has sought a fair probe into the case.

HCMSA’s district president Shalinder Khambra said, “Both the minister and the CMO should be given equal chances to present their views.”

Ex finance minister and senior Congress leader Sampat Singh criticised the minister and the state government, saying that, “It shows the frustration of the ministers who have no powers. Krishan Bedi is an attached minister and he must be sacked. On the one hand, the BJP seeks public support to save the girl child, but its ministers behave rudely with female officials.