IT News
Imphal, Dec 31:
Former in-charge Director of RIMS, Dr. L. Ranjit Singh still continues to occupy the office room of the Director of Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Imphal, even after his appointment as the in-charge director has been quashed by the Manipur High Court on December 19, 2022. As per the High Court order, Dr. L. Ranjit is no more the Director in-charge of RIMS, but he continues to use all facilities provided to the Director such as vehicles, security escorts etc.
Either the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India gives no importance to RIMS Imphal or Dr. Ranjit, whose appointment as Director in-charge has been quashed by the High court, gives a damn of the Manipur High Court order dated December 19, 2022, by the bench of Justice Ahanthem Bimol Singh, Dr. L. Ranjit still occupies the office of the RIMS Director, enjoying all facilities.
Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Govt. of India also seems to dishonour the Manipur High Court ruling as no new in-charge director has been appointed even after 11 days.
In fact, the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Imphal, one of the premier Medical Institute in the entire states of North East India and the pride of Manipur is once more in “trouble water” after the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India had prematurely repatriated Dr. Ahanthem Santa from the post of Director RIMS to his parent institution – North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) Shillong with effect from October 12, 2022. Dr. A. Santa was appointed as Director of RIMS on deputation basis on November 9, 2018, for a period of five years.
From 2014 till the appointment of Dr. A. Santa as the Regular Director of RIMS, reports about corruption and mismanagement plagued the Institution. In 2015, there are reports of a Director refusing to leave the post even after the expiry of his tenure. Before the appointment of a regular director in 2018, the people of the state witnessed a cold war among doctors for the post of in-charge director. From 2014 to 2018, there were 3 in-charge directors. Reports about medical achievement were almost nil, as the diplomatic war over the post of director overshadowed.
Well, it may be the discretionary power of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India to act on whether to replace the director of a Medical Institution and may be those in the Ministry may presume premature repatriation of Director A. Santa before completion of his tenure. But leaving the post of Director vacant for a period of 11 or more days will only sabotage the functioning of the institution.
For example, the annual budget of RIMS, Imphal has reached around Rs. 600 crores. As per source, the annual budget of RIMS at present is Rs. 560 crores. This budgetary amount is indirectly benefitting to all the people of the region either in one way or the others. In the absence of the director, the monetary transaction has been literarily put to a halt.
Besides, infrastructure construction the budgetary allocations include taking of improved facilities for the Medical students and also providing subsidized and free treatment of the patients in need.
