Bill on the way to fix AIIMS Directorâ??s term

Nov 17: The ongoing tussle on the ground of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is added with another sparkle as Anbumani Ramadoss is set to introduce a bill to cut the wings of Director of the premier institute after fixing the term.

•   E-mail Article
•   Printer Friendly
•   Text-Size    

Reacting to this the doctors from the institute has written a letter to the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh terming the bill as “draconian and retrograde” and doctors have threatened to quit if the government introduces the bill, which according to them stands opposite to the autonomy of the institute.

The letter said, “Your own government, through the health minister, is pressing for a draconian and retrograde bill to reduce the chair of the director, AIIMS, to a subservient 'yes man' for all times to come, whereas your initiative of the Valiathan Committee is gathering dust for more than a year. It will be pertinent to emphasise that the AIIMS act needs a comprehensive relook in the light of Valiathan Committee and not to fulfill the whims and fancies of the health minister”.

The bill if passed will reduce the autonomy of the institution, earlier the Valiathan Committee was set to examine the functioning of AIIMS which in its report submitted on Oct 05, 2006 suggested reducing the parliamentarians in AIIMS governing body while praising the functioning of AIIMS.

The bill also has a provision that the government can terminate the term of the directors by giving three months notice anytime before the expiry of his term and the doctors has also pointed that the bill carry a provision that a director can hold office for a period of five years or till he turns 65.

Venugopal is said to have crossed the age hence it is a direct attack on him.

The letter accused Health Minister responsible for maligning the name of institute, “a systematic denigration of AIIMS is being done, not only by the Health Minister and his minions in the ministry, but also by persons who, while owning all that they are to this institute are involved in tearing down its reputation”.

Since long AIIMS has become a personal battleground for the Health Minister who has shown all his might and hostility.

The intense drama between him and the director has defamed the foremost institute; this bill has flared up the debate whether our parliamentarians can dictate such rules or their involvement should be rationalised.