RIMS director under ministry's scanner: PANDM
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, November 27 2021: The health ministry has reportedly pulled up RIMS director Dr A Santa after multiple complaints from People's Action for National Democratic Movement (PANDM) over job appointment and contract works taken up in RIMS in the last three years.

In a statement, PANDM informed that they received several complaints against the RIMS administration alleging that the hospital administration is paying more attention to awarding contract works instead of patient care service.

There are several vacant posts in the institute and in-service employees are losing opportunities in times of post creation as the hospital administration does not issue advertisements and conducts DPC.

Instead, the director is appointing his near and dear ones on contract basis and daily wages so that he could control them easily, the body alleged.

Recently, the Centre pulled up the RIMS authority for appointing an overage person as the administrative consultant.

Such irresponsible activities of the director has not only tarnished the image of the premier medical institute but also resulted in downfall of the hospital.

Before outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, there were 1074 beds in the hospital and the capacity has been increased during the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, no further staff have been appointed in proportion to the increasing bed capacity.

There were several reports of Covid patients not getting bed but the hospital administration continued awarding new contract works during the height of the pandemic, which include replacement of chairs in Jubilee Hall, which were still in good conditions; floor tiling of physiology department; and replacing floor tiles of Jubilee Hall among others without issuing work orders.

In this regard, PANDM submitted complaints to the Prime Minister, union health minister, secretary of health services, and Central Vigilance Commission following which the ministry pulled up the director.

Moreover, there is a police case against the director at Lamphel PS regarding taking of a huge sum of money as bribe in connection with awarding a contract work to a sub-contractor named Hijam Sonamani.

There are also reports of the director trying to siphon off multiple crore of fund by diverting the same to TP Cell and MTDC.

In this regard, a team of PANDM is putting up in Delhi pursuing the Central government to depute a high level enquiry team to investigate into the reports.

It would be better for the director to accept the allegations and resign from his post, the statement said and added that he cannot convince the Joint Redressal Coundil of PANDM and MSAD as well as the complainants to withdraw the complaints.

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