M A I L B A G

PM must dismiss Ramadoss

The nation heaved a sigh of relief on Friday evening following the Delhi High Court’s stay of the peremptory dismissal of AIIMS Director and internationally renowned cardiac surgeon Dr P. Venugopal by Union Health Minister Ramadoss. It is sad that the Health Minister is destroying the autonomy of excellent institutes like AIIMS.

Was this treatment fair and just, especially to a person who has devoted over 40 years of dedicated service to AIIMS? Sadly, there is a crisis of leadership. India has only rulers and not leaders. The leadership has been seized by persons like Ramadoss who have only one point agenda — “I, me, mine and myself first and always”. Our scientist President Dr Kalam and economist Prime Minister Manmohan Singh should intervene in the matter and show the door to Dr Ramadoss for politicising AIIMS.

Dr D.S. JASPAL, Former President, Indian Medical Assn., Ambala

II

Dr VITULL K. GUPTA, Bathinda

III

The editorial “The wrong doctor sacked” (July 7) rightly says that it’s not Dr Venugopal but Dr Ramadoss who must be thrown out. Even a peon cannot be dismissed the way Dr Venugopal was dismissed.

It is utterly shameful that Dr Ramadoss, a petty politician and doctor of no stature before Dr Venugopal, sent the latter out of the governing body meeting and manoeuvred the decision for his dismissal. The Minister presumes that he is answerable to none while pursuing his personal agenda.

The Prime Minister should sack Dr Ramadoss from the Union Council of Ministers immediately. I agree that politicians like Dr Ramadoss should not be on the governing boards of institutions like AIIMS whose autonomy needs to be respected.

M.C. JOSHI, Lucknow

IV

The editorial “The wrong doctor sacked” (July 7) is bold, but does not give a balanced view of the episode. Didn’t the NDA government sack the Naval Chief unceremoniously? What is the use of conferring the Padma Vibhushan on Dr Venugopal if he had to be treated so shabbily at the fag end of his illustrious career?

I must say candidly that Dr Venugopal is also responsible for this imbroglio for three reasons. One, his own partisan role during the doctors’ anti-reservation stir and for abetting the strike. Two, he did not request the resident doctors not to go on strike following his dismissal; this claimed the lives of two poor patients. And three, his association with the BJP leaders and engaging Mr Arun Jaitley as his advocate in the Delhi High Court.

RAM NIWAS MALIK, Panchkula

V

Dr Venugopal’s dismissal (now stayed by the Delhi High Court) reminds us of the era of governance when the rulers had no ears and the public had no voice. The heart of a heart specialist has been shaken by the heartless. What a regime and what governance! Every government employee is governed by the rules of conduct, discipline and appeals. A set procedure is laid down. For superseding normal provisions, special powers can be exercised only in extraordinary circumstances for which too there is a special procedure. Dr Venugopal is not only an employee but a great institution.

At this juncture, I can only recite a couplet of Mohammed Shah Zafar: Aiye zafar insan naa unko pehchaniye/ Jise taish mein khaufe khuda naa rahe/ Jise aish mein yade khuda naa rahe.

ONKAR SINGH RIAR, Sun Valley (USA)