New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) The governing body of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Wednesday sacked its director P. Venugopal, prompting most of the senior faculty to go on a 24-hour flash strike that crippled medical services.
The decision to oust Venugopal came after a three-hour governing body meeting chaired by Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, the president of the prestigious institution, passed a resolution to remove the director for 'violating the code of conduct'.
Authorities said the governing body's resolution would be referred to the cabinet, which has the power to either accept or reject it.
Venugopal, a renowned cardiologist, had a public spat with Ramadoss last month after AIIMS emerged as the epicentre of protests against the government's decision to hike caste-based quotas in higher education.
While Ramadoss alleged that 'some people' had turned the country's leading medical institute into a 'political hub' and warned of action against them, Venugopal accused the minister of curtailing the institute's autonomy.
Many faculty members and resident doctors at the institute have reacted sharply to the decision to sack the director and gone on an indefinite strike to protest the 'autocratic decision of the health ministry', paralysing emergency services at the hospital.
The out patient department, which closed Wednesday, will remain shut Thursday too. AIIMS treats over 8,000 patients every day.
Taking an urgent view of the matter, the general body of the faculty association of AIIMS held an emergency meeting and unanimously condemned the development as an attack on the institute's autonomy.
'The association strongly condemns the removal of director P. Venugopal and demands immediate withdrawal of the order regarding the dismissal. We condemn the interference in AIIMS and the various statements questioning the quality of research and clinical work at AIIMS,' said K.K. Handa, general secretary of the association.
The three-point resolution passed by the faculty body also demanded 'an apology from the health minister on above issues'.
'To express our anger and anguish at these development, the faculty association has unanimously resolved to proceeded on an immediate 24-hours flash strike. The situation will be reviewed tomorrow,' Handa added.
'Both the emergency and casualty services have stopped functioning and no new patients are being admitted to the hospital after the decision (to sack Venugopal) was taken. Hundreds of resident doctors and students have called for a strike,' said Binod Patra, president of the AIIMS resident doctors association.
'This is a case of autocracy on the part of the health minister and we will continue to protest till Venugopal is reinstated,' Patra said, adding they have started referring patients to the nearby Safdarjung Hospital.
'We have two demands - immediate reinstatement of Venugopal as director and removal of the health minister,' Anil Sharma, a resident doctor, told reporters. Doctors also marched a candlelight procession in the campus to express their resentment against the decision.
Ramadoss refused to comment but said: 'We have given a recommendation to the government of India. I don't think I can divulge any details at this point of time.'
Bharatiya Janata Party MP V.K. Malhotra, a member of the governing body, said the decision was not unanimous and the issue was discussed despite not being listed on the agenda.
'It's a black day. One by one they are destroying all autonomous institutions. This is a draconian decision and we condemn it,' said Malhotra.
Of the 15 members who participated in the meeting 12 voted against Venugopal and three including Malhotra and Delhi University vice chancellor Deepak Pental were against the move.
A section of the faculty said that the decision was not imposed by the minister but by the governing body.
'It is not a sudden decision. Looking at the sequence of events and the style of functioning of the director, the decision seems to be wise,' said a senior faculty of AIIMS on the condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court Wednesday criticised the government for denying salaries to the medicos for the period they were on strike and asked it to be a 'model employer'.
© 2006 Indo-Asian News Service | 
