6 months on, BFUHS awaits regular V-C, thanks to govt delay

Amid controversies, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences (BFUHS), Faridkot is functioning without a full-time vice-chancellor for the last six-months.

It has been three months since the process of screening names for the new V-C began. However, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has failed to send a panel of three names to governor of Punjab for the post. The BFUHS is the nodal agency for medical admissions and examinations in Punjab. The major chunk of health recruitment for the state health department is also conducted by the university.

The post of BFUHS vice-chancellor has been vacant since July 29 when Dr Raj Bahadur quit after he was humiliated by then state health minister Chetan Singh Jauramajra during an inspection. Jouramajra had told Dr Bahadur to lie on a dirty mattress in the dermatology department of Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot, to express resentment over the poor upkeep of the institution. In the fallout of the incident, Dr Raj Bahadur resigned saying he “felt humiliated and cannot work in such atmosphere’.

Since the resignation of Dr Raj Bahadur form the post of V-C, director medical education Dr Avnish Kumar is holding the additional charge of the university’s top post.

On September 30, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann had given protocol the go-by and tweeted the announcement of appointing Dr Gurpreet Singh Wander, who is a renowned cardiologist, as the new BFUHS vice-chancellor.

Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit on October 11, rejected the move of the Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government to appoint Dr Wander as the BFUHS vice-chancellor, citing rules and instead sought a panel of names with at least three candidates to choose from. Following this Dr Wander withdrew his candidature for the post of BFUHS vice-chancellor and decided to continue with his services at the Ludhiana hospital.

A high-level official of department of medical education and research said that since Dr Wander opted out for the post of BFUHS V-C, the state government is yet to send a panel to the governor of Punjab for approval. “Since rejection by the Punjab governor one meeting of top officials including chief minister’s office and minister was held but no decision was finalised on the names to be put on the panel. As the names are to be selected by chief minister and ministers, the matter is pending at the top level of the state government,” the official said.

Another top-rank official said that the committee, which is screening the names has held only one meeting so far. “The formation of the panel will take more meetings as no name has been finalised so far. Only after that, it will be sent to the governor,” the official added. Despite repeated attempts, the medical education minister Dr Balbir Singh did not respond back.