NEW DELHI/SHILLONG: The Governing Council of North East Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) on Monday virtually removed its controversial Director Dr DM Thappa following a series of allegations and agitations in the premier hospital of the region.
The Council met here under the presidentship of Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsha Vardhan and took the decision unanimously, ministry sources said.
The action comes in the wake of a number of charges leveled against him, including not calling a single meeting of the Council in the past years, the sources said.
After the meeting, Dr Thappa was called by the Union Minister and told about the decision of the Council dispensing with his services, the sources said. This came under the agenda of ratification of appointment of Dr Thappa as Director, NEIGRIHMS.
The Minister for Health and Family Welfare of Meghalaya, A L Hek, who also attended the meeting, was not available for comments.
The Director has to formally resign or his services will be dispensed with, the sources added.
“The Governing Council has told him either to resign or they have to apply the rules,” a source said.
A confidential note circulated in the meeting of the Council said that high-handedness and dictatorial attitude of the Director has cost the institute dearly. It lost very important and dedicated faculty and more are contemplating to resign, it said.
The Director has chosen himself to be Chairman of selection of senior resident doctors and also for ad hoc appointment for facility, the note said.
He also is the approving and appointing authority which is a conflict of interest, it added.
The Director had personal intentions to harass students which could have destroyed the academic growth of the institute in future, the note apprehended. Thesis for DM cardiology examinations for 2017 -18 were not even evaluated which delayed the examinations of students, it added.
The latest development comes amidst a row between Dr Thappa and the head of the Cardiology department, Dr Animesh Mishra, at the healthcare institute, which caters to the entire Northeastern region and even neighbouring countries.
Many doctors have resigned in the past due to the alleged “high handedness” of the Director.
The Meghalaya government for long has been demanding his removal as the director.
Several NGOs, including the Khasi Students Union, too had dashed off a letter to the Union Health Ministry asking the central government to remove Thappa.
Earlier this year, the institute witnessed an ugly episode when Thappa and Cardiology department engaged in a tussle over the supply of stents and other equipment in the department.
A patient also died as the tussle between the Director and the department continued for a week and the matter was finally resolved after the High Court of Meghalaya intervened.
