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Delinking not an issue: Khosla
HE BECAME the most ?wanted? man the moment he wrote a letter to the Union Ministry of HRD requesting it to completely ?delink? Kamla Nehru Memorial Hospital from Allahabad University, with immediate effect.
HE BECAME the most ‘wanted’ man the moment he wrote a letter to the Union Ministry of HRD requesting it to completely ‘delink’ Kamla Nehru Memorial Hospital from Allahabad University, with immediate effect.
As the news of his letter started to spread, there were angry protests followed by burning of effigies. But Inder Khosla, secretary of Kamla Nehru Memorial Hospital Society, is absolutely cool and clear about all these issues.
“Kamla Nehru Memorial Hospital was never at any stage in the realm of being considered attached to Allahabad University. We (society) are a clinical hospital and we do not want to enter into teaching at that magnitude,” said Khosla without mincing words.
In a special interview to HT following the controversy, Khosla added, “We were requested by the HRD Minister to set up a new PG Medical Institute. But before we could lay down the terms and conditions, the Act was passed in which Kamla Nehru Post-graduate Medical Institute was made Constituent Institute of Allahabad University, after which we had certain rounds of meetings with the HRD Ministry in which some conditions were put up. But as the ministry failed to concede to our demands, we decided to back out.”
The magnetism and complexity in his personality is palpable. Khosla, basically media shy, said, “The hospital was set up 64 years ago by Mahatma Gandhi with an objective to serve humanity with clinical work. That is why we do not want to enter into teaching on that scale. In fact, I want the Moti Lal Nehru Medical College to become a top class medical teaching institute. The services and the infrastructure should be strengthened to match the national standards.”
He also feels that ‘delink’ was never an issue and it was only a cheap publicity gimmick of a few local people. “I guess people should have talked to me before raising the protest. Our aim is clear, to further improve the services of the Kamala Nehru Memorial Hospital for the general public and make it a world-class hospital. We are continuously working for it,” he added.
