Jharkhand Health Dept Accuses RIMS Director of Violating Rules

Ranchi: In the latest development regarding the ongoing feud between the State Health Department and the Director of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), the Department recently issued a statement accusing the latter of various lapses.

This comes after the Director accused the Department and the Health Minister Irfan Ansari recently of withholding files. He also submitted before the High Court that his powers to procure anything for the hospital have been withheld.

Also Read: Jharkhand HC stays Government's order to remove RIMS Director

Responding to it, the Department on Sunday accused the RIMS Director of functioning arbitrarily. As per the latest media report by the Times of India, issuing a press note, the Health Department claimed that the RIMS Director deliberately bypassed procedures by sending financial files directly to the minister instead of placing them before the governing body.

"As per rules, such matters should be discussed in the governing body meetings to ensure transparency and accountability. The director avoided such discussions to escape answering queries, preferring instead to dispose of files confidentially," mentioned the release.

Further citing Section 13(3) of the RIMS Act and Regulation 4 of the RIMS Regulation, the Department emphasised that it is the duty of the director-cum-member secretary to convene governing body meetings.

Pointing out that during the present director's tenure, only two such meetings were held (including the one that was conducted after the departmental intervention), the release mentioned that it clearly indicated deliberate avoidance of the statutory process.

"It further clarified that no proposal for convening meetings was ever rejected or kept pending, yet quarterly meetings were never organised. "This amounts to a direct violation of rules," said the Health Department.

Apart from this, the department also raised concerns over financial mismanagement at RIMS and added that despite receiving the full budgetary allocation approved annually by the governing body, the institute consistently failed to utilise the funds properly. It mentioned, "No reconciliation was done between budgetary provisions and actual expenditure, leading to recurring financial irregularities."

The Department reiterated that RIMS is an autonomous institution and explained that the administrative and financial powers primarily rest with the governing body, Referring to this, the department added in the release, "Departmental approval is required only in cases where the state govt has issued explicit directions. In spite of this, the director unnecessarily forwarded files to the minister, bypassing institutional mechanisms and avoiding discussions in the governing body."

Further, it alleged that the Director failed to convene meetings of the finance and accounts committee, despite being its member secretary. Allegedly, meetings were held only after intervention and scheduling by the additional chief secretary of the health department.

Meanwhile, commenting on the release, RIMS Director told TOI, "I will respond to each and every point raised, but not through the media. My answers will be placed before the court, where the truth will come out."

Dr Kumar, who earlier worked as a neurosurgery professor at Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), Lucknow, was appointed as the RIMS Director on January 31, 2024, for a three-year term.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that within a few months of being appointed as the Director of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, was removed from his position on the grounds of negligence in fulfilling his duties, delay in departmental work, and failure to follow government instructions. The decision was taken by the governing council of the institute, which recommended his removal to the state health department.

Following this, the doctor moved the Jharkhand High Court, which stayed the state government's order removing the doctor as the Director of the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi, with immediate effect. The court observed that how Dr Kumar was removed was legally untenable, stating that a stigmatic order could not be issued without following due process.

However, soon after he was reinstated as the Director of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) the Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari accused him of promoting junior doctors while ignoring their seniors.