July 6, 2006

Press Statement

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

On AIIMS Developments

The developments concerning the All India Institute of Medical Sciences are a matter for concern as it is a premier institution for medical services and research in the country.  The affairs in the institution have reached a stage where the governing board has adopted a resolution for the removal of the Director. This is an unfortunate development which does not bode well for the autonomy and the integrity of the AIIMS.

In the recent period, the AIIMS had become the centre for the anti-reservation movement on the issue of introduction of OBC quotas The attitude of the authority running the institute did not keep in mind the fact that the reservation for SCs, STs and OBCs are a constitutional provision and that a Central Government institution in particular, has to conform to the Constitution.

The strike by doctors in AIIMS and other hospitals on the issue has put thousands of patients to hardship. Mindful of the difficulties faced by the people, the doctors should call off the strike and register their protest by other means. The Polit Bureau urges the government to intervene to amicably settle the issue.