AIIMS director sacked; doctors go on strike

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) governing body today passed a resolution recommending dismissal of institute's director P Venugopal.

The dismissal sparked off a strike at the institute by the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) in support of Venugopal, with the students of Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC) and the University College of Medical Sciences (UCMS) also joining the stir.

The only such high profile sacking of a senior public servant had been that of former Navy chief Vishnu Bhagwat in 1998.

Venugopal and Union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss had been at loggerheads for some time with the minister accusing Venugopal of exceeding his brief and the famous cardiac surgeon accusing the minister of interfering in the functioning of the autonomous institution.

At the governing council meeting, the minister introduced a resolution after the five listed items on the agenda, including the reversal of an earlier decision on user charges, had been cleared. The resolution stated that "it would be in the public interest to terminate the term of Dr Venugopal as director of AIIMS with immediate effect."

Venugopal was asked to wait outside the meeting hall while the discussion went on. He was not allowed to defend himself against the charges.

The resolution detailed how Venugopal had allegedly violated rule 9 of the conduct rules for government servants which prepares ground for dismissal if the government servant criticises or embarrasses the government or the relations between the Centre and states.

"Dr Venugopal gathered faculty, students and outsiders in the AIIMS auditorium and spoke openly criticising the government for allegedly interfering in the affairs of AIIMS. It led to considerable tension in the institute. It has brought indiscipline and bad name to the institute. In view of Dr Venugopal's conduct, it is proposed that his continuance will vitiate the discipline in AIIMS further," stated the minister's resolution.

The meeting was attended by 15 out of the 17 members of the governing body, while three members recorded their dissent against the resolution. These are V K Malhotra, BJP MP from South Delhi, Dr Deepak Paintal, vice chancellor of Delhi University and Dr S S Agarwal from Lucknow. Dr Venugopal was then asked to come into the hall and was informed of the resolution.

Since Venugopal was already on an extension, any legal challenge to the dismissal may not have very strong grounds. It is not clear whether the dismissal has to be ratified by the Cabinet Committee on Appointments. According to top sources in the government, the PM is unlikely to oppose the resolution of the government body.

While Venugopal refused to speak after the meeting, resident doctors launched an indefinite strike and said they would not allow fresh admissions in AIIMS. They asked all employees of the institute, including faculty members, to join them in the protest. "We demand immediate reinstatement of Venugopal as the AIIMS director and removal of the health minister," RDA president Anil Sharma said.

When asked about the effect of the strike on patients, Sharma said, "We suggest that you pose this question to the minister who was aware that AIIMS will be shut down if the director is removed."

K K Aggarwal, member of the Indian Medical Association, said the association would be opposing the dismissal. "We are sending letters to the PM, President, Members of Parliament and several senior bureaucrats to reconsider the decision. AIIMS is an autonomous institute and Dr Venugopal a very senior and respected surgeon...it can't be done in this fashion," he said.

The BJP said that they would be raising the issue in the next session of Parliament. "It is a shame that a surgeon of Venugopal's eminence has been treated so shabbily by a government which is destroying the credibility of institutions," said V K Malhotra.