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All India Institute staff is split over attempt to dismiss director

New Delhi Ganapati Mudur

An attempt by India’s health minister to dismiss the director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi has polarised its staff. The attempt comes amid charges of bad administration and countercharges of political interference at India’s top teaching hospital.

The minister, Anbumani Ramadoss, who is also the president of the institute, last week moved at a meeting of the institute’s governing body to dismiss the director, Panangipalli Venugopal, a cardiothoracic surgeon. The resolution was reportedly approved by a majority of the members present.

The move to dismiss the doctor triggered a two day strike by resident doctors training at the institute and sections of the teaching staff, who shut down the hospital, including its emergency services. The media reported that two patients died after they were denied emergency care at the institute during the strike, although the institute has not confirmed the reports.

The residents and staff called off the strike after the Delhi High Court, in response to a petition by Dr Venugopal, asked the government to explain its action and allowed the director to retain his position in the interim.

The Indian Medical Association has called the dismissal an attempt to “throttle the autonomy” of the institute. “The minister has tried to settle personal scores with Dr Venguopal by encouraging his ousting,” said Vinay Aggarwal, the association’s secretary general.

In an unusual move last month Dr Venugopal had addressed his staff and students and made public his frustrations with what he described as “a systematic undermining of the institute and the authority of the director.”

The institute’s governing body said the director was being dismissed because he had violated a civil service rule that prohibits public officials from publicly criticising government policy. However, Dr Ramadoss has also cited “administrative reasons” for seeking a change in the directorship.

“The quality of administration at the institute has been unsatisfactory over the past two years,” Dr Ramadoss had said, although he declined to give details. Earlier this year a section of the institute’s staff had also complained to Dr Ramadoss about the director.

“There is discontent among the faculty with the director,” said a senior member.

“The strike last week was forced on us,” the doctor said. “A large number of residents and faculty who were willing to work were prevented from attending to patients by the administration and a small section of residents.”

Doctors opposing the dismissal argue that Dr Venugopal is being targeted for allowing the institute to become the hub of agitation by medical students who are challenging a government proposal earlier this year to reserve more places in medical schools for students from disadvantaged castes (BMJ 2006;332:1291).

“The 17 day strike had paralysed medical services and embarrassed the government,” said a member of the institute’s resident doctors’ association.

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