The prestigious Goa Dental College has always had teething problems. But the removal of its much loved Dean Dr Ida de Noronha Athaide has unearthed a toothache which won’t go with a simple root canal. It might need a prolonged surgery to discard every rotten root which has eaten into the core of this great institution.
Dr Athaide’s removal as Dean of this college as a part of a non-existent rotational policy is a mere symptom of an affliction which is not restricted to the tooth. It has pervaded the entire anatomy of the medical system. Dr Athaide, the very non Dean like soft spoken, senior dentist from a well-known family of Ucasaim in North Goa just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. She was the right person, at the right place at the right time as teacher, professor, dean for the large part of her 26 years. Then the place itself changed and she couldn’t.
Doctors in the Dental College who spoke at length to Herald have disappointing stories about the way in which the college is run. Certain suppliers were supplying equipment worth Rs 40 lakhs a month to the college which actually has equipment which is one of the best in the country and suits international standards. And yet, patients are made to buy crowns and other dental accessories and equipment from outside stores and labs. Dr Athaide, did the unthinkable. She actually went through files, saw the pattern of tenders and the manner in which contracts were given. She also made it clear that there would be a transparent tendering process to ensure a level playing field and that that tenders wouldn’t be manipulated to suit certain big time suppliers, who are waiting for a fresh round of tenders to be initiated. So an old story had a familiar ending. The system found a way to remove her.
Established in 1980, the Goa Dental College has always had the senior most doctor as the Dean. There were times when the Dean of the Goa Medical College like Dr GJS Abraham, was also the Dean of the Dental College, with both institutions headed by the senior most doctor of eminence.
One must flag this here that the issue at hand is not just that of the Dental College or related to the sudden transfer of Dr Athaide alone but the brazen ness of her removal indicates that how deep the nexus between those who do business with the health system and those who rule it- both not from the medical fraternity, is. Unfortunately there is no obvious proof yet but a call to action. An investigation into the tenders advertised and issued and the recipients of the work or supply order will establish patterns. An upright Dean will ask questions but a new one, though upright, will take time to see through the system and by the time he or she masters it, the wheel of rotation will bring another fresh incumbent. So you will now have Deans by rotations but never have too many suppliers by rotation.
There is another development which indicates the cleansing of the clean at the Dental College. Mr Victor Vaz, was an engineer with the Dental College, another one of the same breed as Dr Athaide. He also doubles up as an administrator and enforced discipline and timings amongst staff. In addition he had a very good grasp of the working of the equipment of the college. Two weeks ago he too was shunted out the Dental College.
The Health Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, understandably denies any political role in these transfers and removals and is quick to pass the buck to the Chief Minister saying “The CM handles the Personnel department”. Well, for that matter he handles everything. But for the Health Minister to says that he is not responsible for the removal of the Dean of a Dental College under him speaks of extreme inefficiency or more realistically extreme convenience.
The message that has gone down is this. The government thinks that there is no difference between a sarpanch of a village and the Dean of a Medical or a Dental college. Both positions can be run by rotation, which the gravy train on which suppliers, Ministers and others ride, chugs on.
Post script: Yogini Naik, the wife of the Industries Minister Mahadev Naik, a nurse of the Dental College has been transferred and posted as private Secretary to the Industries Minister, her husband. This government, we thought was voted to end family Raj.
