Letter asking doctors’ ‘caste’ triggers row

A letter from health directorate seeking to know caste of medical officers in-charge in government health facilities in four districts triggered a controversy on Wednesday. Officials, however, blamed it on a clerical error.

The letter, sent to chief medical and health officers (CMHOs) of Bikaner, Nagaur, Jodhpur and Barmer, asked to CMHOs fill a pro forma mentioning name of doctors, designations, castes and dates from which they were working.

Doctors were wandering why the state government all of a sudden is asking for their caste. “Doctors do not have any caste and their caste is just doctor that is all,” said a doctor, who did not wish to be named. Asked, health minister Kali Charan Saraf said: “I am unaware of any such letter and I will find out the reason for asking about caste.”

Confirming that letters were sent to CMHOs of four districts, director public health Dr VK Mathur said there was a typing mistake as instead of asking about “jati varg” (category), only caste was typed. The new letters have been issued asking for category updation whether a doctor is from general, SC/ST or OBC category, he said. “There is no reason for asking the caste.”

On asking why the letter was issued only to four districts, he said: “The category of doctors will be updated from all districts and letters will be issued to CMHOs of other districts soon.”