AIIMS doctors' group questions faculty selections

A group of doctors from AIIMS today questioned the selection process of faculty to the country's premier institution after the head of hospital's forensic department made "serious" allegations against the institute administration.
The Progressive Medicos and Scientists Forum (PMSF) -- a group of faculty members, scientists, resident doctors of AIIMS -- demanded the hospital administration spell out the basis for making Dr Sudhir Gupta the head of forensic department in the first place.
They also questioned the facts behind the alleged move to remove him from the post now following the revelations made by him that he was pressurised to manipulate Sunanda Pushkar's autopsy report and could be removed from his post for resisting.

"Dr Sudhir Gupta, the head of the forensic department at AIIMS, who publically claimed that he was forced by the AIIMS administration to give a post-mortem report on the dotted line in the matter of Sunanda Pushkar's death.
"He had alleged that the institute administration was seeking to remove him from the position of head of forensic department since he went public on the issue. This raises serious issues pertaining to policy for faculty selections or promotions at the institute once again," the Forum said in a statement.
According to sources, Gupta was made the head of forensic department, after being promoted as a professor because the other senior professor in the department who was eligible had expressed his unwillingness to take responsibility of the position.

"It is noteworthy that in the past few years, on two occasions, faculty members who were found unfit for promotion by the selection committee and the Governing Body of the Institute, have been subsequently promoted by the Health Minister and the AIIMS administration without passing any censure against those who found them unfit in first place.
"It may also be noted that almost every faculty selection at AIIMS after 1993 has been a subject of litigation in the courts. Selections and promotions of the faculty have been made in utter disregard and contempt of provisions like 'constitutional reservations' and guidelines issued by the DoPT (Departament of Personnel and Training) and different Courts from time to time," the forum said.