NEW DELHI, 6 July 2006 — Doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) are at loggerheads with the government once again over the dismissal of AIIMS Director Venugopal Rao.
Venugopal was dismissed yesterday following an AIIMS governing body meeting chaired by Union Health Minister A. Ramadoss. He was dismissed on charges of violating the code of conduct. Ramadoss and Venugopal had acerbic exchanges a fortnight ago when the latter called for greater autonomy in the AIIMS.
Yesterday’s decision to sack Venugopal angered doctors, who, demonstrating their support for Venugopal, went on strike immediately. “Resident doctors, students, scientists and faculty members have all gone on strike to protest the decision,” Vinod Patra, a representative of AIIMS Resident Doctors’ Association, said. “We consider the dismissal as a blow to the autonomy of the institute,” he said.
Describing Venugopal’s dismissal as “a blatant slap on the face of the medical profession” and another instance of “tremendous political interference” in the AIIMS affairs, Indian Medical Association (IMA) has sought the intervention of the president and the prime minister.
“I would appeal to President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to intervene to ensure that the situation does not get out of control. It is a very, very sad day for the medical profession in India,” Sanjeev Malik, IMA president-elect said.
