Two weeks after the Punjab and Haryana High Court stayed his re-employment beyond the age of superannuation, Dr Suresh Kumar Singhal has been relieved of the charge of Director of the PGIMS, Rohtak.
Dr Madan Gopal Vasisth, Senior Professor and Head of the Department of Surgery, has been assigned the additional charge of Director with immediate effect until further orders. A notification to this effect was issued by Governor Prof Ashim Kumar Ghosh on Monday evening, following a recommendation by the state government.
Dr Vasisth has 35 years of experience in the medical and academic fields. He has served twice as Medical Superintendent of PGIMS, Rohtak, and also held the position of Dean, Students’ Welfare.
After assuming charge, Dr Vasisth said improving patient care, strengthening research activities and raising the standards of medical education would be his key priorities. He said greater emphasis on research would help develop better treatment protocols, improve clinical outcomes and enhance the quality of healthcare services.
He also stressed the need to ensure the availability of free medicines to economically weaker patients. Patient grievances would be addressed promptly, with special attention to ensuring patient satisfaction in every department, he added.
Later, Dr Vasisth met Dr HK Aggarwal, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Health Sciences, Rohtak (UHSR).
The Governor had appointed Dr Singhal as Director of PGIMS for a three-year term with effect from August 13, relaxing the upper age limit of 65 years under Clause 3(1)(e) of the university statutes.
The appointment was challenged before the High Court on the grounds that it was illegal and arbitrary. The petitioner contended that Dr Singhal had attained the age of 65 on July 31, 2026, and was consequently ineligible to continue in office under Statute 3(1)(e), which provides for cessation of office upon attaining the age of 65, irrespective of the unexpired tenure, and does not provide for any relaxation.