Gadchiroli civil surgeon Dr Varsha Lahade suspended for negligence, departmental inquiry ordered
Maharashtra government suspends Gadchiroli district civil surgeon Dr Varsha Lahade over supervisory lapses and orders a departmental inquiry.
Long-running complaints about the functioning of Gadchiroli's health system have culminated in major action. The Maharashtra government has suspended Dr Varsha Shivaji Lahade, the district civil surgeon who holds the top responsibility for the district's health machinery. She has been accused of serious negligence, laxity and dereliction of duty while discharging her supervisory responsibilities. The government issued the suspension order on September 16, 2026, and has also directed a departmental inquiry into the matter.
Dr Lahade was appointed district civil surgeon of Gadchiroli in December 2025. But complaints about her way of functioning began surfacing soon after her appointment. Questions were raised over resignations by doctors at the sub-district hospital in Aheri, difficulties faced by patients in getting treatment, and the manner of administrative functioning. In August, former panchayat samiti member Amita Madavi held a protest in Nagpur demanding action against Dr Lahade. Taking note of these complaints, the government had formed a four-member inquiry committee. Around the same time, allegations of medical negligence also surfaced over the deaths of a mother and newborn at the rural hospital in Chamorshi, which raised questions over the functioning of the district's health system.
The state government has built a large women and child hospital in Aheri, but the sudden resignation of some doctors at this hospital triggered discussion over the health department's administrative functioning. Complaints also emerged that the district civil surgeon had no effective control over the district's health system. In a remote and health-wise challenging district like Gadchiroli, vacant posts for doctors and other medical staff, shortage of facilities in hospitals, and the question of patient treatment remain a constant subject of discussion. In such a situation, effective oversight and administrative responsibility on the part of senior officers become even more important. It is against this backdrop that the suspension action against Dr Lahade is being seen as significant.
Notably, Dr Lahade had also faced suspension in 2017 over an alleged illegal abortion case in Nashik. The renewed suspension in Gadchiroli over her manner of functioning has now caused a stir in the health department.
According to the government order, Dr Lahade's headquarters during the suspension period will be the general hospital, Gondia. She will not be able to leave her headquarters without prior permission from the competent authority. A departmental inquiry will be held against her, and a further decision on the allegations will be taken based on that inquiry. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is the guardian minister for Gadchiroli, which is why the complaints over the district's health system and this action over administrative functioning are being discussed particularly closely. The government's decision is being viewed from the standpoint of ensuring that people receive essential health facilities properly and that accountability is fixed at the administrative level.
