By Dr H Romen
IMPHAL, December 17: The delay in appointment of a regular director for the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Imphal, over the past one year has raised the eyebrows of many sections of the society.
The premier medical institute of the North Eastern region which could become a pioneer institute in India when it is converted to the status equivalent to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS), has been reduced to a laughing stock for gross violation of norms and malpractices over the past few years the latest being the report of alleged leakage of question paper of the written test examination for recruitment of staff nurse very recently.
The most concerning issue that still haunts the institute is the fracas over the appointment of a regular RIMS director.
On August 25, 2014 (vide order No. u/12025/2014-NE) the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GOI relieved the then director of RIMS Dr Sekharjit from the post. Dr Arunkumar, professor of Orthopaedics and former HOD was made interim Director of the Institute.
Again, on April 23, 2015, another order (No. u/120025/12/2014-NE) of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India signed by Murari Lal Sharma under-secretary, removed Dr Ch Arunkumar Singh from the post and Dr S Rita Devi, professor and Head of Department of Pharmacology RIMS Imphal was made another “Interim Director” to look after the prestigious central institute.
It is in gross violation of Supreme Court ruling that an Interim administrator should not be replaced by another interim administrator.
It has to be replaced by a regular appointment.
As per memorandum of association, Rules and Regulation, bye laws, RIMS Imphal No 12 (III), it is clearly mentioned that any interim or officiating Director shall hold office for a period not exceeding six months at a time. At RIMS, this rules, has also been violated again as Dr Ch Arunkumar had hold the office of Director even after exceeding 6 months.
Many section of the society have raised their eyebrows why rules have been violated one after another and that a prestigious central institute has been kept in the care of Interim Director for more than a year.
Taking advantage of the absence of a regular Director, some sub-ordinate officers are reportedly working at their own whim and heavily involved in malpractices and corruption etc.
Subsequent to the advertisement inviting application for appointment of a regular Director RIMS, it is learnt that many from RIMS and outside the State had applied for the post.
The last date of submission of form was scheduled till July 31, 2015.
Even after the lapse of nearly five months of last date of submission of the form, Regular Director has not been appointed. Moreover, no date has been fixed so far for interview.
The public have not only raised their questions on the delay in appointment of the director but also questioned that on whose interest the authority is working and why rules have been violated one after another.
It further questioned the motive of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of India for allowing RIMS to move in a road full of frauds, corruption, nepotism and manipulation?
It is high time the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to take initiative to appoint a regular Director for RIMS, so as to save such a prestigious Institute from further damage and harm in the wake of the high hopes of the public.