Odisha dept transfers doctor 2 months after death; asks officer to join immediately

In a bizarre oversight, the health department in Sundargarh district promoted Dr. Smruti Ranjan Samal, a block public health officer who passed away in April, to additional public health officer (TB). The order, issued amidst a cholera outbreak, also transferred the deceased doctor to the district headquarters hospital. Officials attribute the error to a communication lapse regarding Samal’s death.