The decision of the Institute Body of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to recommend the removal of director Dr P. Venugopal for alleged violation of conduct rules throws the spotlight firmly on the Union health minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss who had made it his mission to get rid off the AIIMS chief after the anti-quota protests on the campus of India’s premier medical institution.
However, the move to sack Venugopal is not the only blackmark against the young Tamil Nadu minister, son of PMK chief Dr S. Ramadoss. Ramadoss junior has been in the eye of a storm for urging film and sports stars to not endorse soft drinks; for stuffing AIIMS with his cronies; for publicly contesting UN figures on AIDS in India; and for advocating statutory warnings for smoking on screen.
Question: In spite of being the first medical doctor to head the health ministry, has Anbumani Ramadoss become an embarrassment to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh? Should he go? Or will the demands of coalition politics mean that Singh will have to retain him?
churumuri 
factual error: there was c p thakur, a qualified physician, as health minister before ramadoss
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The ‘live and let live’ philosophy of coalition politics will prevail.
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I have been in an autonomous med institute in India long enough to know that the authorities use the autonomy plank only to claim immunity from any accountability. The charge agianst Dr Venugopal is clear and as Union health minister the man had to either swallow the gross flouting of rules or do something. Well I hold no brief for the politicians but we the middle class are to compromised with the political class and our inability to see our stupidity is projected in the form of our anger towards the politicians whom we have all used to feather our own nests. in any case isnt the thing of the minister vis-a-vis Dr Venugopal sub-judice?
Batthini
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If the DMK’s support to the LTTE doesnt bother the Congress (given the Rajiv Gandhi episode) , why will this affect the coalition?
So what if he is an embarassment to the PM… if you go by that Manmohan Singh will have to tender his resignation at least once a day !!
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This kind of an action by the Union Minister for Health smacks all the vendetta that he has towards the upper caste people who seem to run it efficiently. Coming from a rich background riding the caste politics from Vanniyar community, this minister has no qualifications to be a politician, except that he is the son of an influential casteist politician, from a small region in TN.
These kind of ignorant / greedy people are the ones who tend the damage reputations of institutions they hold charge of. This action is just a pretence to make sure that AIIMS is packed with OBCs from Tamilnadu while giving pink slips to existing reputed faculty – by which he can come back to power from that small region at the expense of a larger section of sufferers from across the Country who come to AIIMS for treatment.
It was a joke to see the photos of the minister making publicity stunt while acting to treat people in AIIMS at the height of students’ agitation this year. What qualification does he possess to treat people? I am not sure how many years were spent by him to study MBBS (probably, KP coud enlighten us… can you, KP?). Even after that, if he has become a full time politician indulging in petty politics, as a patient, I am definitely scared of the kind of treatment that he may provide as shown in the photographs.
This minister understands the cash milking cow called AIIMS is available at his disposal for making a quick buck. This makes him to believe that he can ride roughshod over anyone who opposes him and make sure he stamps his authority there and make sure that he has his way through.
Are the prime minister and the lady from Italy – Antonio Maino watching or listening? I am sure, the educated lot from the country will never ever dream to vote back UPA to power next time.
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@imahotgal,
Well,
1) It was none other than the Public Accounts Committe report (2004-2005) tabled in parliament that spoke of the need to back off from interference in the AIIMS functioning.
2) It is pleasing to hear to hear that the head of the selection committe at AIIMS is a close relative of the health minister. Hmmm….
3) It is extra pleasing to hear that when you are on leave, three of your aides have been replaced with the minister’s men.
4) You ask the gentleman to go out of the room and discuss him without giving him a chance to speak for himself. And remember, the topic wasn’t even on the agenda.
5) Also, how about the fact that Hota, the health secretary is on the governing committee. The AIIMS act, 1956 does not allow for it.
Multiple problems. Minister’s got some issue. But at the heart of it is the hunger for power and the fact that they do not like criticism. The newly drafted broadcasting code also aims to curtail freedom of speech and make politicians immune.
The fact that the minister does not have any regard for freedom of speech and does not know how to behave with senior men of knowledge apart from flouting rules as mentioned above, is reason enough for his sacking . Morally speaking, that is.
Of course, the fact that it will not happen is another story.
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“I am sure, the educated lot from the country will never ever dream to vote back UPA to power next time. ”
But I do hope the uneducated rural folk have better sense. The rural employment scheme is one of the best things to have happened to them in a long time.
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I am with ‘iamahotgal’ on this. If the guy chose to criticise the government in public rather than discussing his issues in private, he deserves to be sacked. He wouldn’t have survived in private sector too if he had behaved like that.
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Dr. Venugopal did the first Heart Transplant surgery In India. It was after the pioneering surgery ( in India), the Govt. passed an Act allowing transplant of hearts of ‘Brain Dead’ patients ( mostly accident cases) to needy Cardiac Patients. Hundreds have benefited by that Act following the operation. Dr. Venugopal was decorated with ‘Padma Bhushan’ and other International Awards.
We have the habit of allowing humiliation of international achievers by two-cent, harebrained politicians! That’s a pity.
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The removal of venugopal shows the Autocratic way the way these ministers from Tamil Nadu behave.
Would a karnataka minister dare to do such a thing ..even if the official is on the wrong side. adhukku gundige yirbeku .adhu yivaralli yidhe.
Assume if DMK or AIADMK comes to full majority as a national party in center ( Its not possible..lets assume ) . What would happen to Cauvery dispute?
what would happen to rest of India and official ministry?
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ಕೊಂಗರ ಪಾಳ್ಯಾ ಆಗೊಗಿದೆ…ನಮ್ಮ ದೇಸಾ.
ಈ ಕಾಟಪಾಡಿಗಳಿಗೆ ನಾಲ್ಕು ಬಾರಿಸ್ ಬೇಕು..ಎಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಅಂತ ನಾನು ಹೇಳಬೇಕಾಗಿಲ್ಲಾ
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During recent months the UPA govt is getting enmeshed from one crisis or the another subjecting the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to extreme pressure and dilemma. It is obvious that his cabinet collegues have taken unfair advantage of his goodness. This has also given a rady weapon to acuse him of being ineffective to assert his authority. It is becoming increasingly apparent that his colleagues have gone on to implement their personal agenda and unfortunately the PM has been left to bail them out putting him in an untenable position. The glaring example was the Bihar fiasco, followed by reservation mess and the latest is the sacking of the AIIMS Director P.Venugopal. This has made resident doctors to go on strike. Already the govt has been put on the mat for going back on the implicit promise of paying for the strike period to the doctors. The comrades are making PM’s life miserable and the breakfast strategy has lost its appeal. Now the strike called for 13th looms large.The Tamil Nadu on Neyvelli Lignite issue has put the PM in an untenable position. How long this state of affairs can go on with the govt lurching from one crisis to another without the PM reaching a breaking point and doing something unexpected? If it happens it is not Manmohan Singh who suffers the setback for he is an honourable man but the Congress party that will receive the brickbats.
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People do we have to make it a Tamil thing- Dr Venugopal is an Andhra person so does that make any difference. I am a doc and my first obligation is towards helping sick and ill people- the only people who are caught up in this ego clash of two doctors who unfortunately gained places of authority compounded by these senseless idiots of the hospitals of Delhi who seem to go on strike like Mamta Banerjee used to. I am ashamed to belong to that profession at times- I just read on a car bumper- ‘the most lethal threat to human health is the medical profession’ How’s that,
batthini
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Dear Bapu sir , as much as I agree with your comments, I cant fathom till how long do we see our PM JUST as an Honourable man??…in case he isnt able to take decisions on crucial issues he should no longer be at the helm.
I think we had enough of excuse of him being a ‘Economist’ , ‘Intellectual’,’Honoroable’,…
If we deserve to be ruled by the likes of Arjun Singh, Sonia ( back seat ) , Natwar , we will be ruled …I honestly think that there is no point in being inside a cesspool and trying to smell like a daisy.
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Its Telugu v/s Tamil turn….Lets wait and watch what would happen to this swabhimaana rally .
see Deccan herald News today
TDP delegation to demand reinstatement of Venugopal
Hyderabad, July 6 (UNI)
The Opposition Telugu Desam Party today sought the intervention of President A P J Abdul Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to reinstate ousted AIIMS Director P Venugopal to the post and demanded the removal of Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramdoss in this connection.
”His unceremonial removal is a great insult to all Telugu-speaking people and Union Ministers from Andhra Pradesh and Congress MPs should rise above politics and join a TDP delegation, to re sent to New Delhi shortly, to impress upon the UPA Government to reinstate him,” party spokesman M V Mysoora Reddy,MP, and former Minister K Vijayarama Rao told a press conference here.
”It is unfortunate that eight Union Ministers from the state are tigh-tlipped on the issue,” they regretted, adding that ”if the UPA Government values the various awards conferred upon Mr Venugopal, including Padma Vibhushan, he should be reinstated as head of the country’s premier medical institution.”
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Even after getting Padma Bhushan and reaching preeminent position in life, Can you gag a person with govt. service rules ? If a IIM’s can have independence and Mr. Narayan Murty can get vocal about mere decrease in fee or reservation, why a different set of rules for Dr. Venugopal ? Reservation is an issue, which is right or wrong (depending which side you are in) is a question which future generation is going to face it and all said and done it is an experiment. It is a wonder that people like Dr. Venugopal still work for a Govt. backed institution, when he could have been earning millions either in Indian Private Sector or abroad. What is the meaning of freedom of speech, if you cannot talk about important policy decision? If I and all of you can hide behind a blog’s anonymity and be critical about all and sundry then does it mean you surrender your constitutional rights if you work for Govt. of India? May be going on strike has ethical and moral implications but we have a political system where referendum like Swiss is out of question. We are ruled by Vote Bank Politics. Then extra ordinary situations need extra ordinary methods. Any way percentage of patients going to Govt. hospitals is very miniscule and Doctors like Mr.imahotgal can take care of them temporarily. We all know how doctors in private sector refuse to handle accident victims and Police case victims?
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Hey I have no conscience and can say that I cant really help the poor Indian patients coz i am in cold wet England. Well as irritating as it might be a Padma Bhushan is no reason to play politics while being an Authority- unfair as that may sound mr Ramadoss may do it but not Dr Venugopal. A hartal or strike is no extraordinary method and neither is the dismissal of the head of any public sector institute- isnt that what despite all the tall claims AIIMS is in any case. Its not like the chief of IB or RAW was summarily dismissed. it hurts but it is by no measure of imagination extraordinary.
The public health sector carries quite a proportion of the pateint load and all of the poor /socioeconomically deprived sections. The private sector as youve rightly pointed out in your last sentence ‘sucks’. The striking people simply dont care – and why should they be striking when they have already started on a path of litigation and please dont started on how the Courts are unreliable. In this situation as with our love-hate relation with the poiliticians the middle class has shown how deeply compromised it is and is in the famous dangerously comic situation of wanting to have its cake and eat it too.
Batthini
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As I said unlike swiss we do not have a referendum system and unlike in your cold and wet UK we do have written constitution and it gives power to our two penny Netas to make laws for us or amend what we gave un to ourselves on 26 Jan 1950. We the people do not have power to recall either! There is a world of difference between IIM /AIIM and IB/RAW.
Dr.imahotgal, what are doing in cold and wet UK ? Please come back to India, we need you here. A lot of Tax payers money has been spent to make you a Doctor (Please do not say you are not an Indian and never studied in India). No offence meant. You are entitled to your opinion, as luckily neither of us are GOI’s servants !
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ee tikklu nan maga(nam minishtru) doctru andre yaar naMbtaare… reservation strike naDibekaadare eevayya treat maaDidd patients gati EnaagidiyO isht hottige pressnOru yaaraadaru hOgi swalpa investigate maaDkoMD barbEku….
ellO fake certificate and ai-infuluence iTkoMDu avanappannU karkondu AIIMSnalli seat giTTaskoLakke hOgidnEno… Dr. Venu baMdid daarilE vaapas dayamaaDsidrEnO appa maganna…
aa sEDu eega teeraskotidane ansatte yaarig gottu.
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They are taking up Mr Venugopal’s case today, lets hope Delhi High Court comes out with some real stinging remarks on our Health Minister’s action.
To me, it seems like a case of ego problem. Our very young helath minister isn’t mature enough yet – doesn’t know how to deal with criticism and counter arguments.
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EE Tamilnora Buddhi ishte aagoythu avara edurige bandoranna mugisodu. Ello ee vyyanige baro duudige kotha aagirabeku adakke henge madone bari Black mail madode kelasa ivarige.
But sadly is there no way that these type of autocratic behavior can be controlled when Gandhi can oppose Britishers why can’t we oppose our own useless netas. I think we are tooo negligent or just adjust to anything which is offfered who will come to rescue us unless we ourselves do that?
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We really don’t know what has/is happened/ing in AIIMS. But the way one director has been asked to leave is absolutely beyond any justification. Why don’t we learn some lessons from nations which manage their universities and hospitals by keeping the “politicians and their ilk” away?
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Latest news is that the SC has stayed Dr. Venugopal’s sacking..
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/hc-stays-venugopals-sacking/14844-3.html
The fight has just begun.. wonder how Ramdoss will react to Mud on his face…
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Sorry… High court…
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Mr Vinay
You know in the wake of stabbing of Julius Ceaser, Anthony in his famous speach called Brutus who stabbed Ceaser ‘an honourable man’. Brutus in justification of his act said ‘Not that I love Ceaser less but I love Rome more’ The only difference in the case of Manmohan Singh is that he has mixed up priorities and thereby hangs a tale
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Govt is in dilemma on what to do regDrs Venu/Ramdoss.Also its sub judice now
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Ambumani is a politician and Venugopal is a doctor. Ambumani is trying his best to teach politics to all the doctors of India.
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…and now ramadoss is refusing to sign the degrees of aiims docs. what a pity. we have an ass ruling over us, a person who we dont even know how and in how long passed MBBS. A corrupt politician, a spoilt doc and a bloth on mankind………….. we present before you Dr. A. Ramadoss.
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I hope Dr Ramadoss will resign before PM will dismiss him. He is showing a lot of favor for Tamilians
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Iam proud of Dr. ANBUMANI RAMADOSS.
Dear Mr. ANBUMANI RAMADOSS…..Please go ahead….we wish u all the best.
Regards
SRINIVASA REDDY
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Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss is an ass!!!
It is because of idiots like him that we are suffering from brain-drain..
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Minister for Potato chips, Mr. Anbumani Ramadoss and is party (PMK) raise frevolious issues to get some attention. They target film starlets for wearing skirts or eating potato chips. They claim to be upholders of Tamil Culture and Tamil Language but his children study in Convent Schools. So far he has done nothing to improve health infrastructure in the country.
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