Politicians and AIIMS staff oppose crucial meeting to address key issues

A huge controversy has evolved after it has been decided that a meeting of top decision-making bodies of AIIMS should take place in order to address key issues like promotions, appointments and retirement ages. 

The top decision-making bodies — the governing body (GB) and the institute body (IB) — will discuss the issues on 12 May, just four days before elections results are out. This has resulted in a major controversy with faculty members and politicians opposing the idea.

Apart from enhancing the retirement age of the director and teaching staff from 65 to 70 years, the IB will also consider the report submitted by the high powered committee constituted to identify those who participated in the anti-quota agitation at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Sources said the report, which will be submitted in a sealed cover, absolves most individuals citing lack of evidence.

‘The health minister has no moral authority to decide on these policy issues four days before poll results are to be announced and a new cabinet is to be formed. The move is cleared meant to benefit certain individuals,’ a senior faculty member alleged. The meeting of the IB-the highest decision-making body of AIIMS-was proposed by the director and approved by the health minister who the president of the institute. 

A group of doctors under the banner ‘Forum for Rights and Equality’ recently wrote to the Election Commission of India demanding that the meetings scheduled for 12 May be rescheduled as the model code of conduct is still and place. They have also claimed that the standing committee’s recommendations for appointment of lecturers-to be discussed at the meeting-should not be considered as the observations have been made on the basis of a ‘faulty roster’.

‘The enhancing of the retirement age will benefit certain individuals but will harm the prospects of thousands of young doctors. While senior faculty members are required to run an institute like AIIMS, one must not forget that the main workforce is formed by the senior residents and assistant and additional professors. Such a move will make them hopeless and brain-drain will increase,’ said a senior doctor.

The agenda of the IB meeting cited the example of Indian Institutes of Technology where the board of governor has been authorized to give an extension of three years initially and another two years later to the faculty in order to enhance the retirement age.

One of the items in consideration for the GB meeting includes promotion of an additional professor in the forensic medicine department to the next higher grade under Assessment Promotion Scheme in the light of imposition of penalty of ‘Censure’.