Indore: On Friday, the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the appointment of Dr. VP Pandey as the interim Dean of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College (MGMMC), Indore.
Dr. Pandey, M.D. FRCP (Edin), is currently the Professor and Head of the Department of Internal Medicine at MGMMC. He has previously served as the President of both the Indian Rheumatology Association – MP Chapter and the Association of Physicians of India – Indore Chapter.
This appointment follows the retirement of Dr. Sanjay Dixit, the former dean, on November 30. The court’s directive, issued on Thursday, selected Dr. Pandey based on his seniority within the institute. Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla, who presided over the hearing, stated that Dr. Pandey will hold the position until the state government appoints a permanent or regular dean.
The decision comes after a year-long controversy over the appointment process of deans at 18 medical colleges in the state. The government had reportedly favored junior doctors for these positions, bypassing more senior and experienced candidates. Dr. Pandey had previously challenged this process in court.
Following Dr. Dixit’s retirement, a formal replacement was needed. Dr. Ashok Yadav, the Superintendent of MY Hospital, temporarily took over the role. However, his appointment was not approved by the court, and concerns were raised about a junior doctor overseeing sensitive records of senior faculty. The High Court’s order clarified that while Dr. Pandey will serve as interim dean, the state government retains the authority to make a permanent appointment.
Earlier reports indicated that Dr. Ashok Yadav had assumed the role of Dean of MGM Medical College after Dr. Dixit’s retirement. Dr. Yadav, a Professor and Head of the Department of Transfusion Medicine, had also been the Director of the State-of-the-Art Model Blood Bank at the medical college.
