Nine super-speciality Karnataka hospitals without permanent director

Apart from Bengaluru-based Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology (KMIO) and the Institute of Gastroenterology Sciences and Organ Transplant (IGOT), all the other institutes are without permanent directors.

Bengaluru: Karnataka's super-speciality hospitals are facing a leadership vacuum, with only two of the 11 organisations having permanent directors. This is seen as one of the main reasons for possible delay in crucial decision-making and budget allocations.

Apart from Bengaluru-based Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology (KMIO) and the Institute of Gastroenterology Sciences and Organ Transplant (IGOT), all the other institutes — including Jayadeva Hospital (SJIC), the Institute of Nephro Urology (INU), and the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (IGICH) — are without permanent directors.

A similar situation plagues 22 medical colleges under the state Medical Education Department, 10 of which have no permanent directors.

The delay has frozen hospital operations, possibly affecting plans on annual budget  allocations and pending works. The temporary heads or "directors in-charge" can "only manage and not direct" the administration, said Mohammad Mohsin, Principal Secretary, Medical Education Department.

Some directors in-charges have told DH on condition of anonymity that they continue to wield the powers of a regular director without the title.

Appointing permanent directors may be a political decision, but the delay in appointment in some institutions is attributed to snags in adopting the new bylaws issued last year. The new bylaws have amended the retirement age to 60 for all, while earlier it differed between institutions.

Mohsin told DH that the byelaws have not been adopted in SJIC, SDS Tuberculosis Research Centre & Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (SDS RGICD), and the Institute of Nephro Urology (INU), all Bengaluru-based. The last two institutions continue to function without a permanent director for over four years.

The three super-speciality hospitals have Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as chairman. The chief minister is unable to call a meeting to adopt the bylaws, which would formalise the retirement age. It is likely that the status quo will continue at these institutions until the election results are out, which means they will not call for applications to appoint a director.

Pending cases

While Kidwai’s director Dr V Lokesh was suspended from his position by the state government in February this year, the Karnataka High Court has reinstated him, noted Mohammad Mohsin, Principal Secretary, Medical Education Department. The department has appealed this decision and expects to hear the case soon.

The Lokayukta has also conducted an inquiry into several complaints at the Institute of Nephro Urology (INU), but has not submitted the final report to the department.

Centres that are facing a leadership vacuum 

Here is a list of the institutes without a permanent director:

- Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research (SJIC)

- Institute of Nephro Urology (INU) 

- SDS Tuberculosis Research Center and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (SDS RGICD)

- Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health (IGICH)

- Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Trauma and Orthopaedics (SGITO)

- Dharwad Institute Of Mental Health And Neurosciences (DIMHANS)

- Rajiv Gandhi Super Speciality Hospital (OPEC), Raichur 

- BMCRI Super Speciality Hospital (PMSSY) 

- Karnataka Institute of Endocrinology and Research (KIER)