The Kerala High Court has directed the state Government to maintain status quo and not to appoint anyone as the Director of Health Services (DHS) until its verdict, following a petition filed by former DHS Dr. V.K.Rajan who was transferred last week for his alleged involvement in the Abhayrab vaccine purchase issue.

Dr.Rajan, moved the High Court challenging the state Government decision claiming that the vigilance report on Abhayrab vaccine purchase was not against him, and the decision to transfer was demotion in service.

Though the High Court single bench consisting of Justice M. Ramachandran accepted the petition demanding to reinstate Dr.Rajan as the DHS, the court did not grant stay on the Government move. The court has served notices to the Kerala Chief Minister, Kerala Chief Secretary, Health Department principal secretary, and the DHS in charge Dr. B.Mahilamani, in the case.

Dr.Rajan was transferred as the Director of the Virology and Infectious Diseases at Alappuzha following the FIR report of the vigilance enquiry team had indicted him in the Abhayrab vaccine purchase issue. Dr.Rajan maintains that the former Health Minister P.Sankaran had verified the report, and did not find any negative remark against him in the report. The transfer should be considered as demotion, as he was a Governing Council member of the Virology Institute.

Following the removal, Dr.Rajan also had alleged the Indian Immunological Laboratory (IIL), which manufactures Abhayrab vaccine, had pressurized the offices of Chief Minister and Health Minister to remove him from the post of Director, as the company was in the process of trying to get included in the Central Purchase Committee (CPC) list to get Government orders.

Following a complaint of reaction to a patient two years ago at the Government District Hospital at Quilon, Dr.Rajan had ordered to stop supply of Abhayrab vaccine, and the order was hastily given to Aventis Pharma for its Rabipur vaccine. There were allegations that the order was given even before the test results were out, and shifting of purchase violated some of the CPC norms. Recently, the Inspection Wing (F/Non-Technical) of the Finance Department of Kerala government had recommended suspension of the state Health Director for causing losses to the tune of over Rs.1 crore to the exchequer in shifting the purchase order. An Assembly Estimates Committee enquiry also had given a negative report.