New Delhi: MAMC faculty protests, to meet Health Minister on 17th June

New Delhi: The faculty of Maulana Azad Medical College and associated hospitals along with the representatives of FORDA have unanimously decided to meet the Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain to request him to withdraw the orders of taking over the medical superintendent's office of Lok Nayak hospital.

MAMC faculty went up in arms, threatening en-masse repatriation, after the the college received a letter from the health department, announcing new plans of office locations in the premises of the prestigious college and its associated hospitals.

A letter from the health department dated 31st May, 2016 clearly announced the relocation of the offices of DGHS, GNCTD and Delhi Healthcare Corporation from their current offices in Karkardooma and Shakarpur to Lok Nayak Hospital Campus, with immediate effect.

The letter directed

The entire administrative Block including Room Nos 1 to 17 and Conference ad Committee rooms shall be handed over to the officers/officials of the office of DGHS. The existing office furniture and other supportive staff and services of LNH shall serve the office of DGHS on as is and where is basis.

Director General, Health Services, GNCTD shall, henceforth, occupy the office room allotted to the Medical Director/ Medical Superintendent, LNH.

The existing office of Delhi Health Care Corporation Limited in totality is to be shifted to old Casualty Block of LNH including old CDC Area and old Skin ward after necessary renovation by PWD

The present administrative offices of LNH are to be shifted to the ground floor of the orthopaedic block.

A further email from the health department on 8th June 2016 directed,

The office of Honourable Minister of Health is to be established in Room 1 of the Administrative Block at the earliest. The other officers/officials presently occupying Room No 2 to 17 are to be shifted to the ground floor of the Orthopaedic Block. Furthermore, Orthopaedic Block of the Hospital is to be named as Emergency and Trauma Block

Then Came another letter on 9th June, 2016,( from CPA) reiterating the issue of offices of CPA/Delhi Healthcare corporation and asking that the space along with the keys may be immediately handed over to the CPA/ DHC.

The faculty association of MAMC, immediately reacted to the said directions calling them an attempt to decapitate an 80+ year old glorious institution.

Read Also : New Delhi: MAMC faculty arms up against Delhi government

"It was resolved further that should the government machinery continue in the sinister plan to decapitate MAMC and Associated institutions in this manner, the affected groups would be constrained to consider escalating their protest by any and all means available to them," said Dr Ajay Gupta, Director Professor in the Dept of Orthopaedics and Dr S V Singh, Director Professor, the dept of Preventive and Social Medicine who are also heading the faculty association in a letter to the Health Minister.

With the strong opposition from the faculty as well as the alumni of the college, Additional Secy Health, was seen sending a clarification on the 11th June, 2016 that the relocation does not imply any form of interference in the day to day functioning of the hospital ,yet the faculty members seemed still unconsolable. " If this is so, pass an official order to this effect, and come out in the open and say it," said a faculty member, pointing out that the clarification came through a personal mail rather than an official one.

The Association last week had written to Delhi's Lt Governor threatening to seek en-masse repatriation to Central Health Services (CHS) cadre if the Delhi government did not roll back its decision to take over the medical superintendent's office located in the administrative block to make way for offices of the health minister and other senior officials.

The association representatives have now decided that a delegation would meet Jain on Friday 17 since "it was felt that the Hon'ble Minister is unaware of the true facts and is being misguided by some advisors in the matter."