AIIMS: Rival camps pull out scalpels

NEW DELHI: All India Institute of Medical Sciences is now witnessing a no-holds-barred vilification campaign as fallout of the face-off between Director Dr P Venugopal and Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss. The two camps are at loggerheads and keeping eager reporters busy.
Those opposed to the director on Saturday started a signature campaign, demanding his immediate removal while his supporters accused Ramadoss of acting out a ‘cloak-and-dagger' intrigue by bringing in multiple changes while Dr Venugopal was abroad.Old records alleging misuse of the institute's facilities by Ramadoss were dug up.
More than 300 signatures from students, resident doctors and faculty members against Dr Venugopal were collected today. The statement condemned his public address on Thursday, accusing him of instigating students to attack the dean, Dr R C Deka, that day. Posters announcing Dr Venugopal's ‘resignation' appeared all over the doctors' hostels late on Friday night.
The Faculty Association, AIIMS (FAIMS), however, rallied behind the director. FAIMS vice-president Dr Binod Khaitan said, "If the minister wished to improve the administration of AIIMS, why did he have to wait till the director went away on a 10-day trip? Again, it may be his wish to appoint Dr Deka as the dean, but he needs to give us some justification for doing it. And why did he have to replace the sub-dean who does not even deal with administrative matters? Such irresponsible comments are painful."
An order signed by Ramadoss on Friday, overriding Dr Venugopal's appointment of Dr T D Dogra as acting director in his absence, was also circulated in the institute and cited as one more instance of ‘interference' by Ramadoss. On Friday night, however, ministry officials reportedly instructed Dr Dogra to continue as acting director.
While Ramadoss threatened to issue show cause notices to doctors on his return to the Capital for making the institute a ‘political hub' and instigating students during the quota stir, doctors here accused him of misusing the institute's facilities.
Records available with the estate section show that when Ramadoss was staying at the AIIMS guest house, an amount of Rs 35,000 was sanctioned for purchasing crockery and linen for the minister (May 26, 2004), Rs 40,000 for a 29-inch TV and two trolleys (June 3, 2004), Rs 25,000 for utensils (June 14, 2004) and Rs 50,000 for a bed and sofa (June 15, 2004). "Is this how he should have used the institute's funds and facilities?" asked a resident doctor.
Other than recent administrative changes ordered by the ministry recently, Dr Venugopal's supporters say there have been several such instances in the past. "Ramadoss had directly addressed the heads of departments in the board room without taking the director into confidence. He had also addressed all the faculty members in the auditorium, asking them to approach him directly in case of a problem, indirectly bypassing the director," recalled a doctor.
The minister's supporters, however, argue that the director too had been out of favour with many faculty members for a host of reasons but that his alleged support to the quota stir has changed the situation.