31 March,2011 07:47 AM IST | | Astha Saxena
Institute has issued a letter to all departments discouraging its staff from associating themselves with any organisation, society or forum
The next time you visit The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and find an air of deafening silence, don't be too disconcerted. This could be a result of the institute putting a virtual gag order on its employees.
In previous letters the management had asked doctors and other heads of departments not to communicate with the media on any issue including any kind of scientific data. The institute has formed a panel called "Media Coordination and Press Releases Committee" to look after the matter.
Incommunicado: In previous letters the AIIMS management had asked
doctors and other heads of departments not to communicate with the
media on any issue including any kind of scientific data. File Pic
Though doctors and other staff members opposed the decision, the institute again has issued a letter to all departments asking its personnel to get prior permission from the administration before associating themselves with any forum, organisation, association or society.
"The institute employees who are associated with any body/ forum/ organisation/ association/ society and are holding an elective office therein are required to give prior information and take permission on for the same. In case, no intimation/ permission has been taken it may be sought within next thirty days.
In the circumstances, any plea of ignorance or misconception as to the government's attitude regarding participation in the activities of such organizations/ forum/ association would be tenable," the letter says. MiD DAY has a copy of the document.
Several doctors and other medical staff are unhappy with these strictures. "What is the institute faculty trying to do with these restrictions? Every educational institute is allowed to be a part of the associations and various fora, how can they stop us from doing all that?" said a senior doctor on the condition of anonymity.
MiD DAY had earlier reported how the institute was asking its doctors to shut up and not speak on any issue.
"If AIIMS faculty will not speak on public issues then who will? The institute has the best doctors in the country, so they should definitely share their issues and knowledge with the people," said another doctor, who did not wish his name to be revealed.
Meanwhile, the medical superintendent, Dr DK Sharma and the official spokesperson, Dr YK Gupta were not available for comments.
Groundwork
AIIMS was inaugurated in 1956, and was built with a grant from the Government of New Zealand. AIIMS was established in New Delhi after former Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's initial proposal to set up the institute in Calcutta was turned down by the then Chief Minister of West Bengal Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy. It was the vision of Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, the first Health Minister of India, to establish an institute of such nature in India.
