Comes close to a case of jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Even as an uproar was raised against the failure to appoint a Director of RIMS after its Director-in-charge retired on February 28, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare went ahead and appointed an IAS officer, RK Dinesh, in this case, as the officiating Director, triggering strong protests from the senior doctors of RIMS. An officiating Director in place now, but far from addressing the grievances of the medical fraternity of RIMS, the latest move of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has only gone to add more fuel to the fire and the strong stand taken by the Teachers’ and Medical Officers’ Association (TAMOA) of RIMS may just be the tip of the iceberg. It was not for nothing why TAMOA convened an emergency meeting on April 4 and adopted a slew of decisions including the stand to lodge a formal complaint against the appointment of the IAS officer as an officiating Director. A clear indication that if corrective measures are not taken soon, RIMS may just see more stormy days ahead and the blame should lie squarely at the door of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It would also be in the fitness of things for the State Government to look into the matter and apprise the Centre on the next best course of action to be taken up. To put the record straight, the stand of the doctors of RIMS has nothing against the officiating Director. It is more likely that the young IAS officer has also been put in the line of fire by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for its refusal to go by the book.
That things were not really right could be sensed from the moment the appointment of the young IAS officer as the officiating Director of RIMS was announced. It was against this backdrop that The Sangai Express took pains to contact some senior doctors of RIMS and highlighted their reaction on the day the appointment of the officiating Director of RIMS was announced. Now TAMOA has come out in the open to oppose the decision of the Centre and this calls for an immediate review of the appointment order. The important question is, why did the Union Health Ministry overlook the point that in the guidelines laid down by the Medical Council of India for appointment of Director of a medical institute, nowhere is it mentioned that an IAS officer is eligible for such an appointment. Again it is the same thing in the by laws of RIMS. As some senior doctors of RIMS have pointed out, the appointment is in complete violation of the minimum qualifications laid down by the MCI for appointment of teachers/administrators of medical colleges in India and also the existing by laws of RIMS. It is also important to note that nowhere in India has an IAS officer been appointed as the Director of a medical institute. The Union Health Ministry should understand the point that to the people of Manipur, RIMS is something much more than a hospital and a medical institute. A point which should not be overlooked while effecting important appointment such as to the post of the Director.
Source: The Sangai Express
