Rohtak, September 7
The government today appointed Dr D.R. Yadav as officiating Director of the PGIMS. He continues to hold the charge of Forensic Medicine Department.
He replaces Dr P.L. Jindal, Director-General, Health Services, Haryana whose appointment was not approved by the Medical Council of India (MCI) as a result of which admissions to the MBBS in Haryana were held in abeyance.
In fact, ad hocism appears to have become a rule with the Haryana Government as in the past four months the PGIMS, the only government-owned medical college and hospital in the state, has had as many as four Directors, all officiating.
Dr S.B. Siwach, who was appointed Director after the Chautala government came to power in 1999, was replaced without assigning any reason on May 10. The Commissioner, Rohtak Division, Mrs Anita Chaudhary, was appointed as officiating Director of the PGIMS.
When she went on leave, the charge was handed over to Dr P.L. Jindal. In between the government constituted a search committee which selected Dr S.P. Kaushik from Chandigarh for the coveted post on June 29. But he was not issued any appointment letter.
Since the MCI did not approve the appointment of Mrs Anita Chaudhary, the government on August 16 appointed Dr P.L. Jindal as Director in her place. Thus, Dr Yadav is the fourth officiating Director of the PGIMS in as many months.
Will the MCI accept Dr Yadav as Director of the PGIMS asked some members of the faculty. The post-graduate degree in forensic medicine held by Dr Yadav is not recognised by the MCI till date. There has been no move on the part of the PGIMS or even the Forensic Department to get it recognised.
Dr Yadav, highly informed sources told The Tribune, was promoted Professor after putting in just over one year of lectureship although rules stipulate a minimum 10 years’ experience, five years’ experience as Reader. But the seniormost Professor in the PGIMS did not have a single day’s experience as Reader.
These are some of the questions that haunt the faculty members on the campus. If his appointment is as per the norms of the MCI, why then has the government not appointed him Director after removing Dr Siwach, they ask.
