Chandiagrh: In a bid to overhaul the administrative framework of Govt Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, the UT administration moved to appoint a new director principal based on merit rather than traditional seniority. The decision, now awaiting the final signature of Punjab governor and UT administrator, has triggered a debate within the institute faculty.The shift followed the completion of Prof G P Thami’s term. While Prof Dasari Harish, the current medical superintendent, was next in line according to seniority, sources indicated that he was due to retire in five months. The administration’s intervention marked a departure from the internal selection process that has been in place since the tenure of Dr Atul Sachdeva, when court cases moved the appointment away from the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) towards internal seniority. The decision to bypass the seniority track was reportedly triggered by the governor being apprised of significant operational lapses in the hospital’s emergency and trauma wings. Recent reports of patients’ attendants being forced to manually operate Ambu bags due to lack of ventilators and technical staff highlighted a system in urgent need of streamlining. A high-level panel headed by the UT chief secretary recommended two names for the top post: Drs Ravneet Kaur and Suresh. According to sources, Ravneet Kaur was the priority candidate, with her name carrying a strong recommendation for the governor’s final approval. While some faculty members contested the change, others argued that selecting a leader based on clinical outcomes, research output, and administrative experience was essential to restore the hospital’s efficiency. The move signalled the UT administration’s intent to move away from a “seniority-first” culture towards one focused on merit and crisis management. If the governor approved the appointment, the new director principal faced the immediate task of improving the emergency care system and addressing resource shortages that recently plagued the institution. MSID:: 128856387 413 |
