Five months and counting: AIIMS without director

After the initial rush, the search for a new director for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences AIIMS seems to have come to a halt.

After the initial rush, the search for a new director for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences AIIMS seems to have come to a halt.

The 17-member committee appointed to find a replacement for Dr P Venugopal has not even met in the last three months. Venugopal retired as director of the premier medical institute-hospital on July 2.

According to sources, the process of selecting the new director was completed on August 18, when the AIIMS Institute Body last met. The Institute Body, the appointing authority, is said to have unanimously selected current dean and ENT specialist Prof R C Deka as the new director.

Though his selection was prompt, the name of the new director has not been announced yet. Insiders said the appointment is hanging fire for the last three months as the file is shuttling back and forth for approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet ACC.

The committee includes the Prime Minister, the Union Home and Health ministers, and the Department of Personnel and Training. 8220;We have forwarded the file from our end. It is waiting for the ACC8217;s approval,8221; Union Health Secretary Naresh Dayal told Newsline.

Faculty associations and resident doctors, meanwhile, said work at the institute has taken a beating due to delay in the appointment of the new director. 8220;We have an ad-hoc director who is appointing group-C and D-level personnel. He is also responsible for residency selection,8221; a senior professor, who did not want to be named, said. 8220;But these are permanent and regular appointments that are not meant to be done by an ad-hoc director.8221;

As per the AIIMS Act, the acting director cannot hold the post for more than six months 8212; in Dr Dogra8217;s case, the deadline gets over on January 2, 2009.

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Besides Dr Deka, senior professors of AIIMS such as Dr R V Azad Department of Opthomology and Dr G K Rath radiation oncology are among those considered for the post. Others who had applied for the post include Dr K K Talwar and Dr Kartar Singh of PGI Chandigarh, and Dr Jagdish Prasad, the medical superintendent of Safdarjung Hospital.

What happened when
May 8, 2008: Dr P Venugopal reinstated as AIIMS Director by the Supreme Court
July 2, 2008: Dr Venugopal retires; Dr TD Dogra appointed acting director
July 17, 2008: 17-member committee formed at Institute Body meeting to select next director
July 31, 2008: Selection committee holds first meeting.
August 18: Institute Body8217;s last meeting this year