The State government’s decision to appoint the medical superintendent of Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Dr. Nimma Satyanarayana as in-charge Executive Registrar (ER) could snowball into a controversy. With a pending vigilance case and history of being suspended once against Dr. Satyanarayana, a perfect storm is brewing at NIMS.
In October-November, 2012, Dr. Satyanarayana, along with two other doctors, was suspended after an inquiry conducted by then NIMS Director Prasanta Mahapatro revealed that an undertrial prisoner, Jayaram Reddy, managed to evade prison by staying, first at RIMS Kadapa for 26 days and then at NIMS for 49 days.
In fact, post suspension, Dr. Satyanarayana got a clean chit after a judicial enquiry and was reappointed as medical superintendent of the hospital. However, there is also a vigilance case related to irregularities in the construction of NIMS canteen, pending against him.
According to persons in the know of this issue, this is for the first time in the history of NIMS that a medical superintendent has been appointed as an ER. “Where is the logic in giving multiple posts to a single person, that too one who has a vigilance case pending?” they argue.
Dr. Satyanarayana, however, has maintained to stay away from controversy. “The judicial probe into case gave me a clean chit and I was reinstated as medical superintendent,” he said.