AIIMS director Venugopal removed from additional post

P Venugopal, director of AIIMS, is removed of his additional charge as head of the cardiology department as per the directions of the Delhi High Court.

P Venugopal, director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, was on Wednesday removed of his additional charge as head of the cardiology department as per the directions of the Delhi High Court.

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Sampad Kumar, the senior-most professor in the cardio-thoracic surgery department, will replace Venugopal.

The decision to remove Venugopal was taken by Health Minister Ambumani Ramadoss, who is also president of the AIIMS governing body, after consultations with experts.

On March 29, the High Court had vacated the stay over the hospital's governing body to take steps for removing him from the post of AIIMS director by adhering to the due process of law.

A division bench of Justices Swatanter Kumar and HR Malhotra had given 15 day's time to the government to act upon the court order.

The bench had said: "The institute's governing body is free to proceed in accordance with the law and on the basis of the questionnaire served upon the director to which he has already replied, and pass such orders with the prior approval of the government as it may deem fit and proper in the circumstances of the case."

Granting permission to the governing body to proceed against Venugopal, the bench said that the governing body was the supreme decision making body and the autonomy of the institute is necessary for the attaining excellence in the medical field.