The director of North Eastern Indira Gandhi Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) Dr D M Thappa on Thursday issued a clarification regards certain reports in a section of the media.
In the statement issued, the director of the premier medical institute of Meghalaya has admitted that ‘it is true that NEIGRIHMS is not an institute of national Importance as per recent communication from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) in relation to seeking pay parity with AIIMS, New Delhi in 2018 and 2019.
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But as per gazette notification in 2008, NEIGRIHMS is the only medical institute to be declared as ‘Centre of Excellence’, the director had asserted.
However, he rued that no additional benefits are being given as a result of this.
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“The recruitment rules for deputy director (Administration) were changed before 2017 and the post was downgraded vis-à-vis DDA post,” the statement clarified.
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The post of DDA was advertised on August 28 early this year. In the mean time in contravention to the procedure, DDA was granted further extension by MoHFW on October 14 last, even though post was already advertised, it stated.
The director is a victim of exposé of nexus between private vendor, just outside NEIGRIHMS and HoD Cardiology, busted on April 2019 when Rs 30 lakh items (stents and pacemakers) were confiscated by a vigilance officer, the statement added.
“The HoD Cardiology along with his DM students took the system at ransom and stopped working for days together at the cost of patient lives, so as to get the confiscated items released,” it said.
Now AMRIT pharmacy has become primary supplier of the same after May 3 this year2.
“Who is getting benefited? Director or the patients? Why the same initiative was resisted by HOD cardiology before May 2019?,” the director questioned.
He further questioned as to how many patients have been infected with HIV, Hepatitis B and C by re-use of one time disposable catheters, sheaths, balloons, and guide wire etc in Cath lab for cardiac procedures in Cardiology Department.
“Moreover these patients were billed as if new items have been used,” he claimed.
“It appears some officials in MoHFW are trying to run a parallel administration through Deputy Director (Administration) by-passing the director, he alleged.
Pointing out several aspects for which he is not responsible, the director asserted that NEIGRIHMS need to be cleaned from unethical practices by few, who are maligning the image of the institute for their personal gains.