Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss came down heavily on AIIMS Director P Venugopal for accusing him of 'interfering' in the functioning of the premier institute and threatening to resign, saying he should not have gone public on the issue.
Speaking to PTI, Ramadoss said, 'It is very wrong that he has gone public. If he had any problem, he could have discussed with me. I was and am always available.' Denying that he had interfered in the functioning of AIIMS, he said as president of the institute, he had certain obligations and duties to perform.'Is performing duty interference?' he asked adding that the charges levelled against him by Venugopal were 'rubbish'.
Justifying the appointment of a dean for AIIMS, he said the post had remained vacant for a long time. 'How could a prestigious institute function without a dean for a long time?' he asked.
Ramadoss said the fund allocation for AIIMS had been hiked from Rs 350 crore to Rs 500 crore during his tenure. He has also made the trauma care centre at the institute functional, besides completing the construction of a building for cancer care.
'If all this is interference, I am glad to interfere,' he said.
Ramadoss said when he had become the Health Minister, the lack of administration in AIIMS was visible. He had taken steps to tone up the administration. The charges against him were a 'continuation' of the anti-quota stir of last month, he said.
Advertisement
