AIIMS GB, IB decide to initiate process to appoint new Director

New Delhi, Dec 20 (UNI) The AIIMS Governing Body and Institute Body today decided to initiate the process of selecting the new Director of the premier Institute but said that the final appointment would be done only after court's clearance.

Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, who heads both these bodies, had earlier removed eminent cardiologist P Venugopal from the AIIMS Director's post and appointed seniormost faculty member T D Dogra as the Acting Director after Parliament passed an Act which confined the age of the director to 65 years. The Delhi High Court had stayed the removal of Dr Dogra from the post pending final disposal of the petition filed against the health minister's decision.

The Governing Body and Institute Body of the AIIMS has given the Deputy Director, Administration the reponsibility for initiating the procedure to the appoint the new director for which applications would be sought from both national and international experts. The entire process would take about five to six months by that time the court's decision on the matter would come, Health Secretary Naresh Dayal told reporters.

The Governing Body and Institute Body have assigned the Health Secretary to suggest what long term and short term measures could be taken to implement the Thorat Committee's report. The committee had investigated the complaints of discrimination against the SC/ST students in AIIMS. Meanwhile, the report of the Committee appointed by former Director Venugopal to go into the Thorat Committee's recommendations has been rejected.

Regarding the appointment of Junior and Senior Resident doctors, the government reservation policy in job would be implemented.

The meeting also decided that in case the convocation ceremony for AIIMS was delayed from February 2008, students would be allowed to take their certificates. This year doctors had gone on strike demanding that their degrees be awarded as they had to apply for foreign jobs and admission in educational institutes.

The Governing Body and Institute body also decided to reinstate Dr Sampat Kumar who was earlier suspended for alleged negligence.

The meeting was attended by all the members of the Governing Body and Institute Body except senior BJP leader V K Malhotra who walked out in protest against the health minsiter's comment blaming doctors from Bihar for the United Kingdom derecognising Indian MBBS degress.

UNI