The Odisha government on May 18 suspended four doctors for dereliction of duty in Puri district which has been badly hit by the recent Cyclone Fani.

The four suspended assistant surgeons were found absent during the visit of senior officers of the health department to cyclone-affected Puri district, said a health official. The four doctors are Dr Jakesh Samantray and Dr Jahana Parveen of Chilika-Nuapada community health centre (CHC), Dr Bapuji Nayak of Brahmagiri primary health centre and Dr Jasmin Nilima Panda of Rebana Nuagaon CHC.

Puri is the district worst hit by the cyclone that ravaged coastal Odisha on May 3. The state government also transferred three medical officers of Odisha Medical and Health Services (OMHS) cadre. Puri Chief District Medical Officer (CDMO) Ramchandra Rout has been transferred to Directorate of Health Services while Angul CDMO Amarendra Nath Mohanty has been posted as the new CDMO of Puri. Dr Basanta Mishra is the new health officer in-charge of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC).