NEW DELHI: The names of three prominent doctors have been shortlisted for the post of director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) following a successful and eventful career of its bossman Dr Randeep Guleria, sources have told The New Indian.
Guleria has had a successful stint, helming the prestigious institute, for more than four years including the two pandemic-hit years while often becoming the health ministry and Union government’s sole points-man for handling the VVIP treatment, including chest complications and COVID, of several top functionaries including former PM Manmohan Singh, former finance minister Arun Jaitley, Union home minister Amit Shah, then Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and President Ram Nath Kovind.
The names of Dr Rajesh Malhotra, Head of AIIMS Trauma Centre and Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr Nikhil Tandon, head of the department of endocrinology and the executive director of Translational Health Science and Technology Institute and Dr Pramod Garg, professor of gastroenterology, have been shortlisted by the Union health ministry’s expert panel to succeed Dr Randeep Guleria whose tenure will end this month, the source said.
The expert panel is chaired by Rajesh Bhushan, secretary, Union health ministry. The list, containing the three names, was sent to the members of the Institute Body of AIIMS for further approval. It now awaits the final approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Dr Malhotra completed his MBBS from AIIMS, New Delhi in 1984 and did his MS in 1988. Dr Malhotra also had training in ‘Revision Joint Replacement and Bone Banking’ at the Queensland Bone Bank, Brisbane, Australia. He organised the country’s first ‘Navigated Cadaveric Hip Arthroplasty’ course.
Dr Tandon is also an alumnus of the AIIMS who did his MD in Medicine from the prestigious institute. He did his PhD from the University of Cambridge, UK. His researches are on autoimmune thyroid disease including thyroid epidemiology, diabetes and metabolic bone disease.
Dr Garg completed his MBBS from King George’s Medical College, Lucknow. He did his gastroenterology fellowship (DM) from AIIMS. He has his major research interests in pancreatic diseases.
Sources told The New Indian that the panel received more than 30 applications from candidates across the country for the directorial post.
Dr Guleria, who was appointed as a director on March 28, 2017, was due to retire on March 24. But his tenure was extended by three months. “AIIMS is pleased to extend his tenure w.e.f. March 25, 2022, by three months or by the time a new Director is appointed, whichever is earlier,” according to an office memorandum issued by the hospital.