Shillong Oct 18: Meghalaya Health Minister, A.L Hek refuted the allegations made by the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) director, D M Thapa, saying he was not bribed by anyone, and revealed that the ground for sacking him was due to his failure to convene a meeting of faculty and administration in the last two years to review the day to day happenings in the hospital.

Hek said on Friday that the 13th Governing Council meeting chaired by Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan in New Delhi on October 14, had asked the NEIGRIHMS director to either resign or else a transfer order would be issued.

“The ground of sacking him (director) is because he had not called a meeting of faculty and administration in the last two years to review the day to day affairs in NEIGRIHMS,” Hek said.

But Thapa had made many allegations and he termed himself as victim of “clandestine business.”

Thapa alleged that the seizure of cardiology consignment of stents, pacemakers and consumables approximately to the tune of Rs 30 lakh on April 30, was just a tip of the iceberg of business syndicate of Head of Cardiology NEIGRIHMS, Dr Animesh Mishra, and Sanjo Medical, a private pharmacy.

Thapa also alleged that the Governing Council meeting was misled by a “secretive note” and he was kept in the dark regarding the proceedings of the meeting related to the agenda on ratification of his appointment as director of NEIGRIHMS with effect from April 15, 2017.

Hek however termed allegations a personal opinion of Thapa.

According to Hek, nobody during the meeting in the Governing Council was supporting Thapa.

On Thapa’s allegation that politicians and media are being bribed by the cardiology head, the health minister, “That is his (director) personal opinion. But I have not been bribed.”

On the need to have an independent inquiry on various issues as exposed by the director, Hek however ruled out the need to have such an inquiry now.

During the last Assembly session, Hek had stated in the House that the Central government does not take any decision to save NEIGRIHMS, the state would demand for an inquiry committee.

“The question of instituting an inquiry does not arise at present since a decision has been taken by the Governing Council, which is the highest body of NEIGRIHMS,” Hek clarified.

The Health Minister also said that the Head of Cardiology department Dr Mishra has nothing to do with the decision taken by the Governing Council, and he is not even a member of the Governing Council.

“The allegation against the cardiology department and the private pharmacy located outside NEIGRIHMS is an internal matter of the institute. We do not interfere in the day to day affairs of the institute. The state government only steps in when people are suffering due to such infightings in the institute. That’s why meetings at the level of the chief secretary and additional chief secretary were also held earlier to end the stalemate,” Hek said.

Hek informed that the next course of action from the Centre would to issue the transfer order of the NEIGRIHMS director.