It is official: Bangalore University Vice-Chancellor (VC) N. Prabhu Dev has been appointed Chairperson of the newly formed Karnataka Health System Commission (KHSC). An order to this effect was issued here on Saturday by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR) saying the appointment is “with immediate effect”.
The new role
All eyes will now be on Dr. Prabhu Dev to see if he will accept the new post. In case he does, his duties will include supervising fund flow to the State Health Department and implementing the integrated course under the Indian System of Medicine and Homeopathy (ISMH), according to sources.
The commission is expected to streamline public-private partnership between corporate hospitals and the government, besides improving health infrastructure in the State. While the administration of the newly formed commission will be under the Medical Education Department, the Health Department is in charge of the appointments.
More denials
However, Dr. Prabhu Dev continued to play the ignorance card and said he was yet to receive the order and had only “heard about it”.
Asked if he would like to finish his term as VC or accept the new post, he emphatically said: “I will have to consult the Chancellor (Governor H.R. Bhardwaj) first, then the Pro-Chancellor (Higher Education Minister C.T. Ravi), the Chief Minister (Jagadish Shettar), the faculty, Academic Council and Syndicate of BU before taking a decision.”
What’s next?
In the event of Dr. Prabhu Dev accepting the new post, the Karnataka State Universities Act, 2000 says that the Chancellor will appoint the senior-most dean in the university as acting VC. Finance Officer N. Rangaswamy is said to be a top contender.
