HC issues notice to Centre, AIIMS

The public spat involving Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and All India Institute of Medical Sciences director P Venugopal has finally landed up in the Delhi High Court.

The court today issued notice to the Centre and AIIMS on a petition filed by a social worker seeking clear demarcation of powers between the Union health ministry and the institute to prevent any interference in the working of the country's premier institute.

A vacation Bench of Justice R S Sodhi and Justice Geeta Mittal also asked the Centre to submit a report on the recommendations of the committee appointed to suggest measures to prevent exodus of senior doctors from the institute, in a sealed cover before the court on July 26, the next date of hearing.

The petition filed by Vikash Jain through counsels Sugrive Dubey and Nomita Roy, also sought the court's direction not to allow the doctors to go for any agitation ignoring the interest of the patients during the public hours.

According to Jain, the institute has become a stronghold of the ministry and has suffered because of the political interference.

"One cannot develop the way one want to and the institute ends up acting as a department of the ministry of health," it alleged.