Eight months after it was formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rajkot, is coping with a management disaster of kinds with all the highest administrative positions falling vacant one after the opposite. The newest place to endure the destiny is that of Government Director, Colonel Dr C D S Katoch, who resigned two months in the past and not too long ago went on go away.
The highest 4 positions at AIIMS Rajkot comprise the President, Government Director, Deputy Director (Admin), and Administrative Officer.
The institute has been with out a President for over a yr now after Dr Vallabh Kathiriya resigned in August 2023, inside just a few weeks of his appointment.
Dr Kathiria, a former union minister within the Atal Bihari Vajpayee authorities, was appointed president of AIIMS, Rajkot, on August 2, 2023. He resigned on August 20, 2023. At the moment, he had advised The Indian Specific that the Centre had “requested” him to step down.
Extra not too long ago, the institute noticed the exit of the Deputy Director (Admin), Colonel Puneet Arora, who, The Indian Specific has learnt, was repatriated to the Defence Ministry, rendering the put up vacant just a few weeks in the past. The put up of Administrative Officer fell vacant on October 14, after incumbent Jaydevsinh Vala was posted elsewhere by the Gujarat authorities.
On October 31, after Katoch went on “go away”, stating, in a message to colleagues, that the “consequence” on his resignation was pending, the Centre gave the extra cost of the Rajkot AIIMS to Dr Goverdhan Dutt Puri, Government Director of AIIMS, Jodhpur.
Dr Puri took bodily cost of AIIMS Rajkot on Gujarati New Yr’s Day, November 2, when he reached the town, stated sources on the establishment. On November 3, Dr Puri took rounds of the hospital and hostels of AIIMS Rajkot between 11am and 1.45 pm. Dr Puri didn’t reply to repeated requests for an interview from The Indian Specific.
The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of AIIMS Rajkot, Utsav Parekh, in an e-mail response, confirmed that Dr Puri had taken cost on the Rajkot campus on October 31.
Parekh’s mail said that the put up of Deputy Director (Admin) “is being held as a further cost by Affiliate Professor Dr Kuldeep GB since September 4, 2024.” That is after the repatriation of Col Arora.
The PRO additional confirmed, “The put up of Administrative Officer is vacant since October 14, 2024.”
Members of the Institute Physique (IB) weren’t knowledgeable of the choice nearly per week after Dr Puri took extra cost in Rajkot. “We now have heard (in regards to the change) however there was no official communication to date, both from the AIIMS management, or from Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY),” a member of the IB stated on Wednesday, pleading anonymity.
In a message to AIIMS Rajkot college on Sunday night time on their WhatsApp group, Dr Katoch wrote, “Pricey all, simply to your information that I’ve put up my resignation two months in the past on account of well being and private causes. Pending consequence of my resignation, I’m continuing on lengthy go away, which has been sanctioned now. Throughout my go away interval, extra cost of AIIMS Rajkot as ED has been given to ED Jodhpur.”
The Indian Specific additionally tried to achieve out to Dr Katoch a number of occasions via calls and texts, however he remained unavailable for remark.
The Indian Specific repeatedly tried to achieve out to 2 senior officers of the PMSSY underneath the Union Well being ministry that oversees the functioning of all of the AIIMS within the nation, Joint Secretary Ankita Mishra Bundela and Director Narendra Kumar Oza, however they remained unavailable for remark.
Historical past of issues at AIIMS Rajkot
AIIMS Rajkot has been plagued with issues, not least being the lack to fulfill venture deadlines since its inception. After the finances to set the campus up was allotted in 2018-19, it was accredited by the union cupboard on January 10, 2019. The primary batch of scholars was given admission in 2020. The OPD providers began in December 2021.
Nevertheless, delays marred the start of IPD (Inpatient Division) providers, which have been speculated to kick off in September 2022. Building and different delays noticed the timeline being prolonged by one-and-a-half years to February 25, 2024, when 250 beds have been inaugurated by PM Modi. The total-fledged hospital is anticipated to carry 750 beds to cater to the complete Saurashtra space.
