SUBHASH MISHRA
Ranchi, April 28: The Jharkhand High Court has stayed the removal order of Dr. Rajkumar, Director of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Ranchi.
Justice Dipak Roshan, while hearing the matter today, put a stay on the decision made by the RIMS Governing Council and scheduled the next hearing for May 6.
The RIMS Governing Council had on April 17 sacked Dr. Rajkumar from his post with immediate effect. The High Court’s stay on the removal order is being seen as a major setback for Health Minister Dr. Irfan Ansari, who had reportedly made Dr. Raj Kumar’s sacking a matter of personal prestige and had publicly defended the decision.
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Controversy Surrounding Dr. Rajkumar’s Removal
Dr. Raj Kumar was appointed as the Director of RIMS for a three-year term on January 31, 2024, but was removed just 14 months into his tenure. Challenging his dismissal, Dr. Rajkumar moved the High Court against the Governing Council’s decision.
Sources indicate that an altercation between Dr. Rajkumar and Health Minister Dr. Irfan Ansari during a RIMS Governing Body meeting may have been the primary reason for his removal. A member present during the meeting revealed that Dr. Rajkumar had even offered to resign if the health minister was dissatisfied with his style of functioning.
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Political Overtones and Medical Fraternity’s Response
The Health Minister of Jharkhand also holds the position of Chairman of the RIMS Governing Council. Many in Jharkhand’s medical fraternity believe that the High Court’s stay could serve as a check against arbitrary decisions by the state’s health leadership.
They recall a similar incident from 2013 when then Health Minister Rajendra Prasad Singh had sacked Patliputra Medical College Hospital (PMCH) Dhanbad’s principal Dr. Arun Kumar Choudhary and superintendent Dr. Arun Kumar without clear reasons, despite both being among the state’s senior-most medical professionals.
