AIIMS Director Venugopal Sacked

The apex decision-making body of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Wednesday sacked its director P. Venugopal from the post following whichemergency services in India's premier hospital here came to a standstill.

The decision was taken during a three-hour meeting of the 17-members governing body, headed by Health Minister A. Ramadoss.

The meeting also addressed issues like promotion, grants for early retirements, appointments and exodus of doctors from the institute.

Soon after the decision was announced, the Resident Doctors Association of AIIMS stopped the emergency service "indefinitely".

"We are slowly referring the patients to the Safdarjung Hospital," said Vinod Patra, president of the association.

Sources said that the dispute between the health minister and the director had started after anti-reservation protests began at the institute in May.

During this period, Ramadoss and Venugopal questioned each other's style of functioning blaming each other for flouting the sanctity of AIIMS.

Venugopal raised issues like encroachment of the autonomy of the institute while Ramadoss accused him of converting the medical institute into a "political hub".

(Source: IANS)