Attracting & retaining the best talent at PGI

Dr VK Anand

It is heartening to note that the PGIMER, Chandigarh, has been ranked No. 2 in the health institutions under the “National Institutional Ranking Framework”. One should keep in mind that such great institutions are not the result of majestic buildings or hefty grants, but are the outcome of competent world-class faculty and supporting staff. For any great academic or research institution, there is only one mantra:

• Attract the best talent
• Select the best talent
• Retain the best talent

The PGI, Chandigarh, right from its start strictly followed the above mantra, and the result is everybody to see and appreciate.

It is said the institution with strong foundation was bound to stand tall even under worst circumstances. The PGI is one such institution. The vision of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, who considered such institutions as “temples of learning and the places of pilgrimage,” was given a practical shape by the dynamic Chief Minister of Punjab, Sardar Partap Singh Kairon.

In 1962, with a lot of efforts, Kairon Sahib zeroed down on Dr Tulsi Dass, world renowned ophthalmologist, as the first director of the PGI. The CM gave a fiat to the director to bring best medical specialists from anywhere from the world.

The then Chief Minister’s instructions were that the director need not go through the formality of advertisements, shortlisting and interviews, and he was free to fix the salary up to Rs 2,500 (in 1962).

The efforts of Dr Tulsi Dass bore fruit and men like Dr PN Chutani, Dr Santokh Singh Anand, Dr BN Aikat, Dr Sant Ram Dhall, Dr PL Wahi, Dr KK Talwar and others joined the PGI.

A few months after joining, Dr BN Aikat, the great pathologist, showed his inability to continue. Dr Tulsi Dass did not want attrition of talent. The director immediately rang up Kairon Sahib who advised the PGI director to request Dr Aikat to meet him immediately. When Dr Aikat reached the Secretariat, the CM personally received him. During meeting, Dr Aikat told the CM that he belonged to Calcutta where he had his house and family.

Kairon Sahib immediately allotted him a plot out of the CM’s discretionary quota with the promise that he won’t leave the PGI at any cost. Dr Aikat’s contributions in general and in the field of pathology in particular are praiseworthy. This was third part of the mantra: Retain the best talent.

(The writer is a former Panjab University librarian)