Following allegations by a section of members of the Chennai based multi-speciality NGO hospital & research institute, Voluntary Health Services (VHS) that the administrators of the health centre were trying to commercialize its services by deviating from the concept of its founder, the management has now appointed a new honorary secretary replacing Dr E S Krishnamurthy.

The post of Secretary was given to Dr S Suresh, the director of Mediscan, who assumed charge soon after he was assigned. Dr Suresh was a member of the executive committee previously.

By allaying all concerns about future operations of the hospital-cum-research centre, the Secretary, while interacting with Pharmabiz, said the new administrative body has a broad frame work for re-structuring VHS. The projects will be implemented in a different way without deviating from the vision of Dr S Sanjivi, the visionary and founder of the popular institute.

“The new projects are based on the vision of Dr Sanjivi and it will be taken forward. No one in our committee favours privatisation or commercialisation of services. The services of the healthcare centre are meant for people of all strata of the society. We will not deviate from its  principles,” Dr Suresh told Pharmabiz.

He said, soon a 24 hour casualty department will be started in the hospital. Regarding Pharmacy and Laboratory, the partnership arrangement will continue for further a brief period. However, the VHS Pharmacy and the Lab will be in operational before long. But to repeated questions, the Secretary said since they are policy matters, a decision will be taken only by the managing committee. He assured that there would be changes in the functioning of the Centre soon.

The allegations levelled against the administrative committee were that they had entered into partnership arrangements with private institutions for the services of pharmacy, laboratory and ultra sound scan after closing down its own facilities. Against this alleged move, the Tamil Nadu Health Development Association (TNHDA), an organisation of doctors and health activists, complained to the state government and later, filed a suit in the Madras High Court. The case is still pending with the court.

In their complaints, the TNHDA members said, the VHS management, after closing operation of the hospital’s own pharmacy, handed over the services to MedPlus, the retail pharma chain company to run their business in the VHS premises. The hospital’s well-equipped laboratory was also closed down and its place was occupied by MedAll Healthcare Pvt Ltd. The scan services were given to Mediscan Systems, whose director is the present Secretary of the hospital.

He said a special committee has been appointed to look into the allegations and they are examining the cases.

The demands of the protesting group included resumption of VHS Diabetes Centre and the two-year diploma course in Medical Lab Technology. Further, they alleged that VHS did not have a 24-hour casualty service, because of that, the patients came after 1 pm were getting services from doctors in the intensive care units. Dr Suresh said the operation of the casualty will be resumed soon.

The hospital was established by the visionary and physician, Dr K S Sanjivi, in 1963 with an aim to provide quality health and medical care to the common people on subsidized rates. It is working with the support of government and international agencies in various fields of public health. The doctors are serving there without accepting due remuneration.