New Delhi: AIIMS Director P Venugopal has moved Supreme Court challenging the Centre's decision to fix the age of retirement of the institute's Director at 65 years.

Earlier, passage of the controversial Bill fixing the retirement age of Director of the AIIMS at 65 years on Wednesday evoked instant reaction from medicos of the premier health institute, who decided to disrupt OPD services from Thursday.

"We have decided to suspend OPD services in protest against the Bill," said Kumar Harsh, President of Resident Doctors Association (RDA).

The OPD services will remain suspended till it is signed by President Pratibha Patil, after which the doctors will adopt a more severe mode of protest, he said.

He alleged the Bill was a blatant attempt made by Union Health Minister A Ramadoss to secure ouster of AIIMS Director P Venugopal.

"Tabling the Bill in Parliament while it was not listed in the business is completely illegitimate," Harsh said.
   
"The passage of the Bill could finally lead to shutdown of the AIIMS," he said.
   
The pro-Venugopal medicos at AIIMS will hold a meeting on Thursday to decide their future course of action in the matter.
   
The AIIMS (Amendment) Bill, 2007 has met with criticism from a section of doctors at the health institute as well as the Opposition parties in Parliament, with charges being made that it was intended by Ramadoss to remove Venugopal, with whom he has had a long-running feud.

Source : PTI