Venugopal sacks AIIMS registrar

Shortly after resuming duty on Saturday, following a High Court stay on his removal, All India Institute of Medical Sciences director P Venugopal stripped registrar V P Gupta of his responsibilities. He also sought an explanation for ordering release of the salary of resident doctors for their strike period in May.

The June 30 memorandum issued by the registrar was one of the major points of differences between Venugopal and Health Minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, who had got the order superseded the next day.

The renowed cardiologist, who was sought to be removed by the Health Minister with a recommendation from the AIIMS' governing council on Wednesday, came back to work on Saturday following the interim stay given on Friday by the Delhi High Court, where Venugopal had challenged the move.

Venugopal has now now asked Gupta to hand over charge to his deputy and give an explanation within two weeks on the release of salary to the doctors for the 17-day anti-reservation strike period, AIIMS sources said.

Meanwhile, normalcy returned to the premier institute with medical services functioning smoothly; they had been disrupted due to the flash strike by doctors protesting moves to sack Venugopal.

"The OPD and emergency services are working normally with the striking doctors back on the job since late Friday  night," AIIMS spokesperson Shakti Gupta said.