Suri, May 8: The Birbhum district health administration has decided to axe 28 doctors of the Rampurhat subdivisional hospital who were found absent from the hospital today.

Their absence came to light when district chief medical officer Shyamapada Basak paid a surprise visit to the hospital this morning.

As directed by state health secretary Kalyan Bagchi, the CMOH, Birbhum, has started visiting hospitals in the district to identify problem areas.

Basak landed at the Rampurhat subdivisional hospital around 9 am today. At the outdoor patients’ department he was told that the doctors were always absent.

“One of the patients informed me that the acting superintendent of the hospital, Amitava Chakraborty, is now busy with his private practice,” Basak said.

On checking the register, Basak was shocked to see that of the 32 doctors only four were present in the hospital.

Ironically, a notice posted on the hospital board asks the doctors to report for work on time.