Patna: Dr Nusrat Parveen, a Muslim doctor who recently came into public attention due to a hijab-related controversy, is facing the final deadline to join her government job in Patna. She has been posted at the Sabalpur primary health centre (PHC) in Patna Sadar, and Saturday has been fixed as the last day for her to complete the joining process. Officials have made it clear that she must report before 6pm, after which joining will not be allowed.
According to the health department’s procedure, Dr Parveen has to go through several formal steps before starting her work. These include a medical examination and verification of documents at the State Health Committee. Only after completing these steps will she receive her appointment letter and be able to join duty at the PHC. By Saturday afternoon, there was no official information confirming that she had reached the office to complete these formalities.
Patna civil surgeon Avinash Kumar Singh said that Dr Parveen had not joined until 2pm on Saturday. He explained that if she had arrived, officials would have immediately collected her documents, issued the appointment letter, and allowed her to start work. “She can join until 6pm today,” Singh said, adding that from the civil surgeon’s office point of view, Saturday is the final day. Any extension, he said, would depend entirely on the state health department.
The civil surgeon also informed that five to six other doctors have already joined their respective postings, and their appointment letters have been issued. Dr Nusrat Parveen’s name is included in the list of selected doctors, but her appointment letter has not yet been released. On Friday, Bilkis, the principal of Tibbi College and a close friend of Dr Parveen, had said she would join on Saturday and that neither she nor her family had any complaints against anyone. As the day progresses, it remains to be seen whether Dr Parveen will complete the process and officially join her post before the deadline ends.
