Senator writes to VC against extension to Chief Medical Officer

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 25

Senator Dr Rabinder Nath Sharma has written to PU VC Arun Kumar Grover against granting extension to Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the PU health centre Dr Devinder Dhawan.

The Syndicate had approved for his extension on April 29 while the matter is listed again before the Senate on May 27.

Dr Sharma said Dr Pragya Kumar, predecessor of Dr Dhawan, was denied the extension along with administrative powers by the Syndicate and the Senate in spite of the recommendation of the VC.

He said in regulation 17.4 PU Calendar Volume-1, it had been mentioned, “A whole-time Medical Officer of the university shall retire on reaching the age of 60 years provided that extension may be granted for a period up to two years in special cases, on the VC’s recommendation.”

He said on the basis of this regulation, only medical officers are entitled for this extension. "Moreover, if the CMO wants to get extension, he may serve the health centre without administrative powers as the Syndicate and the Senate has decided in the case of Dr Pragya Kumar by using their prudence in deciding her extension," he said. He said giving extension to him would deny the right of the next medical officer, and also in the case of PU faculty, no administrative power was given when a person was re-employed.

Dr Dhawan said, "Earlier too, Dr Harish Khanna and Dr Sheela Arora had been granted extension as CMOs. At present, there is just one regular medical officer who has an experience of four years. The rest are either on contract or re-employed. So there is no one to take over after me." He said, “Even the Centre and the Haryana Government have enhanced the retirement age of doctors to 65."