Ahmedabad — The Gujarat Health Department has made a series of high-level administrative appointments in government medical colleges and hospitals, placing four senior doctors in key roles on a temporary basis.
In Ahmedabad, Dr Meenakshi Parikh, currently Director of Postgraduate Studies at BJ Medical College, has been given additional charge as Dean. Dr Dharmesh Patel, a professor of forensic medicine and the additional dean, will now oversee PG education as its new director.
In Vadodara, Dr R G Iyer, the Dean of SSG Hospital, has been assigned the additional role of Medical Superintendent. Interim administrative arrangements have also been made for the Paraplegia Institute and Civil Hospital, according to officials.
In a separate appointment, Dr Haribhai R Kataria, Dean of Science at Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, has been named Vice-Chancellor of Shri Guru Gobind University in Godhra. His five-year term will commence upon assuming office, in line with the Gujarat Public Universities Act, 2023. He replaces Pratapsinh Chauhan, who recently stepped down after a one-year extension.
However, the increasing reliance on temporary or additional-charge appointments—spanning institutions in Rajkot, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, and beyond—has triggered concern among healthcare professionals. Many warn that non-permanent leadership in medical colleges could hamper strategic decision-making, governance, and institutional growth.
These developments follow a similar administrative shuffle in Delhi, where 26 senior medical officials were recently transferred across major hospitals such as Lok Nayak, GTB, Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Dr. BSA, and GB Pant, raising questions about continuity and institutional focus.
