HC refuses to extend Venugopal's tenure

The Delhi High Court also dismisses the plea of a patient's mother seeking his extension by six months to help her son receive final treatment under him.

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday refused to extend the term of AIIMS Director P Venugopal and dismissed the plea of a patient's mother seeking his extension by six months to help her son receive final treatment under him.

HT Image

The Court also pulled up the petitioner, whose nine-year-old son's heart ailment is allegedly being treated by Venugopal, for filling such petition. The AIIMS director is retiring on Wednesday.

"This is a prompted petition and if you were concerned for the treatment of your child, then you would have approached us earlier," said Justice G S Sistani while pointing out that there has not been any precedence where Director's tenure has been extended just for one patient as there are thousand patients being treated in the hospital.

Petitioner Meera Mishra said her son's treatment remains incomplete as Dr Venugopal was removed from the post earlier this year, and it may remain so if his term in office is not extended.

She said that her son suffers from heart problem as one of the heart valve was not working properly and Venugopal has been treating the boy. The final treatment was scheduled in January but was not done due to his removal.

Following the AIIMS (amendment) Bill 2007, passed by the Parliament in November last year, Venugopal was out of the office of Director but the Supreme Court in its judgement reinstated him on May 8.