Regular Dean appointment for IGGMCH by Jan: Maharashtra Govt informs Bombay HC

Mumbai : The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court was informed by the Maharashtra Government on Thursday that it would appoint full-time Dean at Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMCH) by this month end. This decision will be taken at a meeting of the Department of Medical Education and Research scheduled for January 11 and it would be implemented immediately after.

A contempt notice had been issued by the High Court to the Principal Secretary, Medical Education for not having honoured its commitment of employing a full-time dean by June 2017 to the court. At present Dr. AV Shrikhande has been given charge of the IGGMCH as an ad hoc Dean

A division bench consisting of Justice Swapna Joshi, and Justice Bhushan Dharmadhikari, while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by CH Sharma and others regarding public healthcare shortcomings has posted the case for a hearing after 4 weeks. It also made note of the objection raised by Amicus Curiae, Anoop Gilda on the Government affidavit having remained silent about the delay in naming of a regular dean.

In the past 10 years the High Court has given several significant orders in the petitioned case due to which the physical infrastructure of GMCH and IGGMCH has changed, financial allocation improved, and even vacant posts filled. It was the judicial intervention that resulted in 50 MBBS seats of IGGMCH being kept safe for the last one decade, despite Medical Council of India's (MCI), disapproval.

Amicus Curiae pointed that the 250 bedded hospital has remained operational because of court intervention. 157 staff members are needed in the institution and only 80 have been appointed on contract basis. The remaining have yet to be recruited.

This, Mr. Gilda felt might result in disrupting functioning and recognition of the hospital.He also drew attention to the lack of air conditioning facility in the pre and post operational theatres and the equipment/appliances for Super-Specialty Hospital not being purchased despite funds provisions having been made in October 2017.

Amicus Curiae, Anoop Gilda, Addl GP Dipak Thakre (State), Adv NB Kalwaghe (Intervener) and Adv Mugdha Chandurkar (Union) appeared in the matter, reports Hitavada.

In an earlier story done by Medical Dialogues it was reported that the Maharashtra Government has been reprimanded by the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court, which had questioned why contempt action should not be taken against it for not having still employed a regular Dean at the Indira Gandhi Government Medical College Hospital(IGGMCH).The Court mentioned the undertaking taken by the college for the same, at the last hearing.Read also: Why NO dean at IGGMCH: Court sends Contempt notice to govt