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RANCHI: The abrupt dismissal of Dr. Raj Kumar from his position as Director of the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi late Thursday night has sent shockwaves through Jharkhand’s political and medical circles, triggering a significant controversy.
The removal order was issued by the state Health Minister and RIMS Governing Council Chairman, Dr. Irfan Ansari. The official reason cited for the dismissal was “unsatisfactory performance” and Dr. Kumar’s alleged failure to adhere to directives issued in the public interest by the Council of Ministers, the RIMS Governing Council, and the Health Department. The order confirmed that the decision had the approval of Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
Dr. Raj Kumar, a neurology professor from Lucknow’s Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences who was appointed for a three-year term on January 31, 2024, expressed shock and labelled the move “autocratic.”
“If I am being accused of not working, then no one here is working,” Dr. Kumar stated, reacting strongly to his removal. “I was not given a chance to resign — I would have happily done so if asked during the recent Governing Council meeting.”
As per the directive, Dr. Kumar is to be relieved with immediate effect and will receive three months’ salary and allowances.
The situation quickly escalated into a political row, with the Leader of Opposition in the Jharkhand Assembly, Babulal Marandi, alleging ulterior motives behind the sacking. Marandi claimed Dr. Kumar was ousted for resisting pressure from the Health Minister and departmental officials to approve payments worth crores of rupees to private diagnostic centres, allegedly without proper contractual agreements.
“It is unfortunate that Dr Raj Kumar was removed for standing up against corruption by the Health Minister and departmental officials,” Marandi posted on social media. “He is being punished for resisting pressure to approve improper payments during the recent RIMS Governing Council meeting.” Marandi further alleged that the dignity of the Governing Council was compromised during the meeting and that Dr. Kumar had offered to resign rather than yield to the pressure.
Echoing these sentiments, JD-U MLA and former Minister Saryu Rai called the removal “unfortunate.” Rai suggested the government was displeased with the reforms Dr. Kumar was implementing at RIMS. “He was removed because he refused to approve illegal payments during the governing body meeting and spoke truth to power,” Rai asserted.
Reports indicate that the 59th Governing Council meeting of RIMS, held on April 15th, was marked by heated disagreements between Dr. Raj Kumar and Minister Ansari, leading to an impasse on several key agenda items.
The sudden removal of the RIMS Director, who had served less than three months of his three-year term, has raised serious questions about political interference in the functioning and autonomy of premier healthcare institutions within the state.
Disclaimer: This news article is based solely on the information provided in the source text. It aims to report the events and allegations as presented.
