Date:03/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/03/stories/2008070359771300.htm

National

Venugopal retires, says he has no complaints

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

Leaves his “home for 49 years with a sense of fulfilment”

— Photo: R. V. Moorthy

PLANS FOR THE POOR: AIIMS Director P. Venugopal addressing the media in New Delhi on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences P. Venugopal retired as head of the Institute on Wednesday, handing over charge to acting Director T.D. Dogra.

Looking relaxed and even managing to crack a few jokes, the cardio-thoracic surgeon said that he was bidding goodbye to his “home for 49 years with a sense of fulfilment and achievement.”

“I express my sense of fulfilment and I still feel that, given an opportunity, I would like to be reborn for the service of humanity through the AIIMS. At the Institute I have grown from an under-graduate medical student to become the director of the Institute. I have achieved all that I wanted and whatever is left in terms of research I will continue to be associated with them,” said Dr. Venugopal.

Dr. Venugopal said that he held no grudges against anyone. About his bitter war with Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Anbumani Ramadoss, he said: “I see it all as a part of life. Those times could be described as tides that come to the seashore. While some are harsh, others are not. I have no complaints against anyone. I have my vision of where I want to be and I will abide by that.”

On his future plans, the surgeon said he was actively considering setting up AIIMS-like institutes for the benefit of the poor. “I wish to continue working… I will certainly not be sitting idle and there are enough people who have come forward to help us set up AIIMS-like institutes which will be dedicated to serving the poor sections of the society and, of course, doctors from the AIIMS and elsewhere are welcome to work with us.”

Asked if he had any unfulfilled dream, for the Institute or himself, Dr. Venugopal said: “I have grown up with AIIMS. I came to the Institute in 1959 and at that time there was just one block. The hospital started out as a small unit and from then on has grown by leaps and bounds. The Institute is rated as the best government hospital in the country and is well respected abroad. The place today has no dearth of skilled physicians and other medical staff and is only bettering itself each day.”

He would miss the Institute, Dr. Venugopal said. “You can’t take AIIMS out of my system. I will be around for all my patients and for anyone who needs my help or advise.”

Extension plea rejected

Staff Reporter writes:

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday rejected a petition seeking extension of the tenure of Dr. Venugopal, observing that it was a motivated plea. Petitioner Meera Mishra sought extension of Dr. Venugopal’s tenure, submitting that her nine-year-old son would be deprived of final treatment by him if his term was not extended.

The patient was undergoing treatment under Dr. Venugopal for rheumatic heart disease, the petitioner said.

Dismissing the plea, Justice G. S. Sistani said: “It is a prompted petition because if the petitioner was concerned about the treatment of her son she would have approached the Court earlier. There had not been any precedent in the past where the term of a doctor had been extended just for one patient as thousands of patients get treatment at a hospital.”

The petitioner had sought six months’ extension of Dr. Venugopal’s tenure arguing that her son did not receive treatment from him as he was removed in November last.