Health ministry acts against 'anti-quota' officials of AIIMS : India

By Prashant K. Nanda

New Delhi, June 15 - The health ministry has taken action against three officials of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) who had supported last month's protests against the government's move to increase caste-based quotas in higher educational institutions.

AIIMS sub-dean Neerja Bhatla has been removed from the post and Sunil Chumber has been appointed in her place. Public relations officer Arti Viz stands divested of her charge though she continues to be on the faculty. In the case of senior financial officer Mayank Sharma, his deputation has come to and end, according to separate memorandums signed by D.S. Moorthy, the officer on special duty to Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss.

Chumber, who has taken charge as sub-dean, was one of the few doctors supporting a pro-quota movement when resident doctors of five medical colleges in the capital were protesting against the government's plan to reserve 27 percent seats for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in institutions of higher learning.

In his letter dated June 9, Moorthy has written: 'The honourable president of AIIMS has desired that Dr. Sunil Chumber, additional professor (surgery), may be appointed as sub-dean in place of Dr. Neerja Bhatla with immediate effect.'

The health minister is ex officio the president of the institute.

Many at the prestigious institute were shocked by the ministry's move.

'Since Bhatla was appointed only two months back, how can the ministry remove her without explaining the decision? More shockingly, the OSD's letter does not have the signature of the health minister,' said a senior AIIMS faculty member on the condition of anonymity.

'How can they remove the three officials without consulting the director of the institute? A ministry official is challenging the autonomy of the institution,' said another senior faculty member.

'The minister, who is also the president of our institute, needs to consult the director before taking any decision pertaining to AIIMS. The procedure is not being followed, thanks to political motives.

'Since AIIMS was at the heart of the anti-quota protests, the government is targeting us. We have also received threats of losing jobs,' the faculty member said.

AIIMS sources said the ministry was contemplating to remove the institute's director P. Venugopal, too.

Venugopal had Thursday called a meeting of students, faculties and resident doctors to discuss the matter. After the meeting, he told reporters that he was ready to step down but his main 'concern is to protect the interests of the students, staffers and the autonomy of the institution'.

A delegation of senior AIIMS faculty members this week met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, urging him to take AIIMS out of the purview of the health ministry and put it under the Prime Minister's Office.

'We had presented five points before the prime minister - regarding the autonomy of the institute by shifting it under the PMO's purview, the recent exodus of doctors from the institute, the health ministry's interference, the reservation policy at AIIMS and curtailing the user charges at the hospital for the public,' said a faculty member who was part of the delegation.

Meanwhile, resident doctors and students of AIIMS Thursday started a signature campaign against the health minister a day after he said those who had participated in the last month's protests would not get any salary for the strike period of 17 days.