Dr D.K. Singh, the director of the state’s only superspeciality hospital RIMS, also an integrated Covid-19 hub for testing and treatment, is heading for a new assignment.
According to a vernacular daily, state health minister Banna Gupta recommended Dr Singh’s removal on Tuesday for “unsatisfactory work during the Covid-19 pandemic”. The report claims that the minister recommended the file be tabled before CM Hemant Soren for a final decision.
Minister Gupta, who chairs the RIMS governing body, was not available on phone for his comments. Health secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni only said: “No comments.”
RIMS director Dr Singh chose not to delve into the reasons behind his “ouster”, but did speak about his new assignment. “I have been selected to work as executive director at the AIIMS in Bhatinda. I informed the state government on April 12 asking it to start the process to hire another director. I think the minister has made a decision based on that letter,” Dr Singh said.
When The Telegraph spoke to a few RIMS insiders about Dr Singh’s removal, they cited other reasons.
“The director (Dr Singh) was against the private practice of RIMS doctors and had taken action against one or two influential senior doctors. This year in February, he had pointed a finger at a doctor from the ST community after he found irregularities in the purchase of a CT scan machine. His actions boomeranged,” a RIMS insider said.
The person in the know of things continued: “Dr Singh could have been asked to stay at RIMS till the end of fight against Covid-19. He was unwilling to leave the institution midway and had written a letter to this effect to the Union health secretary earlier this month.”
Senior BJP leader and former CM Babulal Marandi took strong exception to this development. “The lifeline of Ranchi, RIMS, has a big role in the fight against coronavirus pandemic. Recommendation for removal of its director by a health minister is worth condemning. Such an order to serve vested interests should be stayed by the CM in the interest of the state,” he tweeted.
RIMS governing body member Raj Kishore echoed Marandi. “It is unfortunate. The government should keep him,” Kishore said.
