AIIMS Forced To Withdraw Director’s Order; Know Why

New Delhi: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi on Friday had to withdraw an order to streamline treatment facilities for sitting Parliamentarians at the premier health facility.

CEO Deo Nath Sah wrote to Joint Secretary, Lok Sabha Secretariat, YM Kandpal that the order on ‘medical care arrangements for Hon’ble sitting Members of Parliament in AIIMS’ may be treated as ‘withdrawn with immediate effect’.

The order, issued by newly appointed AIIMS director Dr M Srinivas earlier this week, was slammed by doctors who felt it would foster a ‘VIP culture’ at AIIMS.

Srinivas’ order, to streamline medical care arrangements for sitting MPs, stated that duty officers who are qualified medical professionals from the Department of Hospital Administration will be available in the control room round the clock for OPD and emergency consultation and in-patient hospitalisation of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs.

It also spelt out that all other patients referred to AIIMS for consultation or treatment by the MPs will be provided due assistance by its Media & Protocol Division. Srinivas had also said that special phone and landline numbers will be made available for MPs to contact officials and doctors of AIIMS.

There was immediate protest from Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), which wrote to Union Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, seeking immediate revocation of Srinivas’ order.

Condemning Srinivas’ decision, FAIMA said the order has affected the morale of doctors as it indicates the AIIMS administration’s treatment protocol for general public and MPs are different.