The controversy over the sudden transfer order slapped on Director of Health Services (DHS) K.J. Reena and the government’s open standoff with the official refuses to die down, with the Principal Bench of the Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT) in Thiruvananthapuram issuing an interim stay on the transfer on a petition filed by her.

The KAT on Thursday stayed the GO (Government Order) removing and transferring the DHS to the Regional Public Health Laboratory in Ernakulam, to be posted as the Director, “a post that was temporarily upgraded” to accommodate her.

The abrupt and sudden manner of the transfer and the handing over of the full charges of the DHS to the Additional DHS (Family Welfare) had come under a cloud, especially since the GO made the mention that the DHS had taken a leave of absence for 15 days during the epidemic period.

After Dr. Reena pointed out that she had sought leave for just two-and-a-half days and that the statement mentioned in the GO was false and baseless, the government issued a new and modified GO, omitting the mention about the leave.

Health Minister K. Muraleedharan was quite open about the hostilities that seemed to exist between the DHS and the new government. He maintained that the DHS was transferred as she had completed two years’ tenure as DHS and that the government had the liberty to look for a new regular appointment to the post.

He also added that Dr. Reena had not been cooperating with the government and that some of her actions, allegedly done without consulting the government, were not acceptable. He also accused the DHS of not informing him about the Nipah lab confirmation, before he spoke to the media.

Dr. Reena approached the tribunal, pointing out the discrepancies in the GO transferring her and stating out that she had been forced into an ignominious exit by the government, that too by raising a baseless allegation against her.

She also pointed out that her transfer was in violation of the rules governing the transfer of administrative cadre officials under the Directorate of Health Services. She stated that as the head of public health in the State, her transfer order should have been signed by the Additional Chief Secretary (Health) and not the Joint Secretary.

Mr. Muraleedharan, who spoke to mediapersons in Thrissur, seemed unfazed about the new development and hinted that that the government had the option to approach higher courts.