Thiruvananthapuram: Health minister K Muraleedharan on Saturday defended the removal of director of health services (DHS) Dr K J Reena and accused her of issuing a communication to the Travancore Devaswom Board on not sparing doctors for Sabarimala duty without obtaining govt approval. Reena, however, refuted the charge.Muraleedharan, who is also the devaswom minister, said Reena sent the letter without consulting him or senior officials and she did not have the authority to take such a policy decision. Describing the transfer as a disciplinary measure, he said: “It was a mistake. We will take action against those who do not cooperate with the govt system. Govt fully stands by this decision. Protecting the interests of devotees is also the govt’s responsibility.”The minister also said Reena had completed her tenure of three years in the post.Reena, however, expressed shock and disappointment, saying the transfer came without warning and termed it a premeditated move. “I do not know why this happened. It feels like a denial of justice. A person who has served for so many years could have been treated with dignity. Nowhere in my letter did I state that doctors would not be provided to the devaswom board. I only communicated what emerged in discussions with all stakeholders and recorded in minutes of a meeting,” she said.Reena said she first learned of the govt order through media reports shortly after concluding a phone conversation with the health minister on Nipah virus test results. “Had I been informed directly that I should step down, I would have complied,” she said.She further said she never disobeyed her superiors or failed in her responsibilities during her 30 years of service. She is not interested in holding on to the position if govt no longer required her services, but it is unfair to tarnish the reputation of an officer nearing retirement, she said.She rejected reports that she sought 15 days’ leave during a critical period and clarified that she had applied for only two-and-a-half days of leave on health grounds. The transfer order had cited a 15-day leave application as one of the reasons for the action.Additional director of health services Dr V Meenakshi has been given charge of DHS. Reena has been posted as director of Regional Public Health Laboratory, Ernakulam.
