Key AIIMS department remains headless

The gastroenterology department of the premier All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is functioning without the head of department (HoD) with the former HoD, Prof S.K. Acharya, retiring on Monday.

The faculty association of AIIMS alleged that the institute is mulling to appoint an HoD from other department by sidelining the senior most faculties of the gastroenterology department. As per existing practice, according to well-placed source at the AIIMS, after Prof. Acharya’s retirement, the senior most faculty of the department, Prof. Anoop Saraya, should be appointed as HoD, but the administration has decided part away from the practice. “Prof. Acharya has retired yesterday without handing over his charge to anyone, which is also against the existing practice in the government sector,” the source said.

The AIIMS faculty association also alleged that the institute’s director is trying to appoint Prof. Umesh Kapil of the “human nutrition” unit as the HoD of gastroenterology department. “There is a well-planned effort to appoint someone from outside the department as HoD in place of Prof Acharya by sidelining Prof Saraya. Even while creating the gastroenterology department in 1973, it was clearly mentioned that the ‘human nutrition’ unit will function as a separate unit and will not form part of the department of gastroenterology,” it said.

The faculty association also said that it would set a wrong precedence at the premier institute where a gastroenterologist will be made HoD of the gynaecology department.

“On October 31, Prof. Acharya and Prof. Anand Kumar, from the department of reproductive biology, retired after attaining the age of superannuation. On May 10, an office memorandum talking about Prof. Kumar’s retirement said that he is advised to handover the charge to Dr Ashutosh Haldar in the afternoon. However, another office memorandum talking about the retirement of Prof. Acharya said that he is advised to return the identity card/EHS card issued to him to the security officer and the faculty cell respectively,” said a member of faculty association, adding that the whole exercise raises several question about the intentions of AIIMS administration.