KJ Reena takes charge of the Regional Hygiene Laboratory

A day after the Kerala High Court on Tuesday lifted the two-week interim stay granted by the Kerala Administrative Tribunal (KAT) High Court last week on the transfer of KJ Reena from the post of Director of Health Services (DHS), she took over as Director of the Ernakulam Regional Public Health Laboratory. Ms Reena has reportedly vowed to continue her legal battle over her transfer.

The stay was granted after Dr. Reena approached the KAT challenging the Government Order (GO) that transferred her from the DHS post earlier this month. Following this, the state government filed an appeal in the Supreme Court challenging the interim suspension by KAT.

In its plea, the government claimed that the GO was compliant with norms, especially after the tenure of the delegation of Dr. Reeny as DHS. Additionally, she was transferred and posted to the Regional Public Health Laboratory in Ernakulam as Director – a post that was promoted to accommodate her. In addition, a new person has been appointed as DHS, the government announced.

Ms Reena’s transfer became a huge controversy when the opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) questioned the government over making transfers to key posts as the state faces an outbreak of serious diseases.

Published – 24 Jun 2026 22:31 IST