PUNE: For the first time, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) gets two health chiefs after the Maharashtra government appointed the second official when the first went on medical leave on health grounds from July 21.

The government through an order on Friday appointed Dr Nitin Bilolikar, chief district surgeon, as PMC health chief, after Dr Ramchandra Hankare, current health chief, goes on medical leave.

“I am on medical leave and will join the office on Monday (July 27). Recently the state government had appointed additional IAS officers in Pune to tackle the Covid situation and an additional health chief has been appointed at PMC. Now the municipal commissioner will distribute the work between both of us,” Dr Hankare said.

Both Hankare and Bilolikar are from the state service. PMC elected members have many times raised the question in general body meetings of appointing the health chief from the civic body as the elected official will know the ground reality. Health chiefs were appointed from PMC, before a state service official was given the post in 2019.

Congress leader Gopal Tiwari expressed unhappiness over Hankare’s leave. “When the city is facing a spike in Covid cases, why did the municipal commissioner approved his [Hankare] medical leave? He could have worked from home.”

Meanwhile, at a review meeting with health department staff after taking charge as PMC commissioner, Vikram Kumar instructed the officials to improve performance and carry out more work on the ground by visiting hospitals and other medical centres.

Bilolikar, a medical professional, was previously posted as deputy director of health services, Pune region. His appointment comes in the wake of government appointing bureaucrats who studied medicine as municipal commissioners in Mumbai metropolitan regions, including Thane, Mira-Bhayandar and Ulhasnagar.