'Feud' with Venugopal media creation: Ramadoss

New Delhi, May 9 (UNI) Terming the 'Venugopal-Ramadoss standoff' as ''media-driven,'' Health Minister Ambumani Ramadoss today asserted that he had tremendous respect for the eminent cardiologist and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director.

''There is no ego clash between me and the AIIMS Director P Venugopal, who is easily one of the best cardiologists in the world,'' he said, replying to a nearly five-hour-long debate on the functioning of the Health and Family Welfare Ministry in the Rajya Sabha.

Trying to make light of the running feud, the Minister said that he was ''a professional trying to become a politician and his sole concern was to further professionalise and streamline the functioning of the AIIMS, one of the most reputed health institutions in the country.'' Berating the media for coming out with ''a series off unsubstantiated articles,'' he said this was ''extremely disheartening.'' ''We respect Dr Venugopal. He is one of the best, has done a lot of research work, and I want to make it amply clear that there are no ego issues involved in the so-called conflict,'' Dr Ramadoss reiterated.

He wondered why he should nurture any animosity towards a particular Director when there were other Directors also, of the Chandigarh PGI and JIPMER in Pudducherry.

In the same breath, the Minister, however, pointed out that Rs 500 crore was being spent on AIIMS but the net result in terms of research work had been ''far from satisfactory.'' Stating that ''autonomy does not mean lack of accountability,'' he said his basic concern was to professionalise the institution.

Earlier, in the debate, BJP's SS Ahluwalia had accused the Minister of using his post to settle scores with the AIIMS Director.

UNI