Dr Eknath Pawar to take additional charge as BJMC Dean, replaces Dr Mhaske

“I am an alumnus of this institution and will come to Pune on Friday. Initially I will hold meetings and understand issues that are important at BJ Medical College. The aim is to do good work here,” Dr Pawar told The Indian Express.

“In my absence at Grant Government Medical College and JJ Hospital, senior doctors in the orthopaedics department will conduct the relevant activities,” Dr Pawar added.

When contacted, Dr Dilip Mhaisekar, director, State Medical Education and Research, Government of Maharashtra, said an order had been issued to the effect. He, however, refused to comment when asked specifically for reasons for handing over additional charge to Dr Pawar.

Dr Chandrakant Mhaske, an alumnus of BJ Medical College, is the Dean of Ahilya Devi Holkar Government Medical College, Baramati. He had taken additional charge as dean at BJ Medical College and Sassoon General Hospital on May 30. This was done after the state had issued an order directing Dr Vinayak Kale, the then Dean of BJ Medical College, to proceed on compulsory leave in the wake of the Pune Porsche car crash case.

Here it may be recalled that the action was taken within an hour of Dr Kale holding a press conference where he said he had no role to play in the appointment of Dr Ajay Taware as medical superintendent and had followed instructions of the state medical education minister to do so. Dr Taware has been arrested along with another doctor and class IV staffer for their alleged involvement in exchanging the blood sample of the minor boy in the Porsche case.