New Delhi: The director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Dr P Venugopal, was dismissed by the Government on Wednesday.
Venugopal was ousted from his post on charges of violating the code of conduct after AIIMS' governing body meeting chaired by Union Health Minister A Ramadoss passed a resolution to this effect.
"He deserved to be dismissed from the job because he had violated conduct rules applicable to government employees by publicly accusing the Government of interfering in the functioning of AIIMS,” Ramadoss had said on Wednesday.
As the news of the dismissal spread, doctors at the premier medical institute went on a flash strike and shut down all services seeking Venugopal’s reinstatement.
A 35-year-old heart patient died after he was refused admission.
IBN Live readers sent in their comments supporting Venugopal and claiming that the Health Minister was playing vendetta politics.
Says a reader who writes under the name Rasputin, "It's the patients who are suffering in AIIMS because of the whims of a Tuglakian Minister. Ramadoss should be sacked summarily."
Other readers go on to say that Ramadoss is responsible for the death.
Says Rajat Khanna, "Ramadoss is responsible for the death - the death of democracy, the death of decency in politics, the death of merit, the death of fairplay and many other valuable things in the institutions of our country."
Yavsrajesh agrees. He appeals to Dr Venugopal to protest in the style of Rabindranath Tagore and return his Padma Bhushan award for belittleing a renowned and prestigious institute like AIIMS.
"This is the way to show the world how merit has become a complete mockery and what politicians are doing in the name of Democracy," says he.
Meena agrees and says that it is high time doctors all over India joined protests so that politicians like Ramadoss do not treat premier institutes like toys.
"If he has come up the hard way he would realise and respect such doctors of international repute like Dr Venugopal. Whether Dr.Venugopal wins this battle or not, we should convey our gratitude and our support for the service he has rendered," adds she.
According to Abhinav the Health Minister could not control the urge and hide his personal grudge against Venugopal.
"I don't think that as part of the Union Cabinet of India, he has led by example. His actions have created a lot of mess. I think that it is time for him to resign or be removed."
He however, goes on to say that it would be wrong on the part of Dr Venugopal to accept the position of AIIMS director again, after having been humliated by the minister and the Government.
"The only way things can change is if the Congress Government falls at the Centre. It is very shameful that the Government has not asked the Health Minister to resign," says Abhinav, adding that had it been the case of the AIIMS director being bad, then he would have not lasted in the institution for almost 47 years.
Another reader Mohita Bhansali writes in saying, "This is another example in India of how politicans can get away with everything. Power has given them the right to manipulate and destroy a healthy society. It is a sad state of affairs."
Moinak Bose also blames the Government saying that the Centre should have realised the consequences of sacking the director of such a premier institute. "Now a heart patient has died and some more may follow this fate - all because of a miscalculated decision on the part of the Government."
A reader Hemant Dubey says that its also unfair that the Government never gave a chance to Venugopal to defend himself before levelling charges and sacking him summarily.
He writes that instead of honouring Dr Venugopal for his services to the nation - dedicating nearly five years of his life to AIIMS, performing the first heart transplant of India and showing the world that medical science in India is as advanced as anywhere else - the Health Minister has sacked him.
"It's most autocratic decision of this Government so far," writes Dubey.
There are however, some writers who hold a different view and say that Venugopal was at fault.
Rajiv Menon says that Venugopal should have tried to stop doctors from becoming politicians during the anti-reservation strike. "It's his job to produce doctors not politicians. Reservation is a Government policy and all Government offices and institutions are the tools from whence the Government will execute these policies."
Another reader writes in to say that he wishes Venugopal had behaved differently from arrogant politicians like Ramadoss. He says that Venugopal should have directed doctors to treat patients in camps outside instead of letting people lie on streets and even die (in one case).
Hpwever, by and large, the view amongst the people is that the softness of the Prime Minsiter is being misused by practically all his deputies including Arjun Singh and Anbumani Ramadoss, which will brutally stab the professional standards of our knowledge centres.
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