Apollo doctor Balaji’s appointment to TRANSTAN challenged

After hearing submissions on a plea moved by Change India represented by its Director A Narayanan that his appointment smacks of nepotism and that he neither had the qualification nor the experience to hold the post, the first bench of the high court reserved its orders for Thursday. Earlier, advocate A Yogeshwaran submitted that the appointment of Dr Balaji was regularised illegally by violating the by-laws of TRANSTAN which states that the member secretary shall be a person with adequate experience in transplant related administration.

Pointing out that Dr Balaji owing to his connections had managed to head a newly-created department for minimal invasive surgery against the advice of the then director of Medical Education that this technique is used for various surgeries by variety of surgeons in many departments and there is no need for a separate department. The plea filed in this regard also submitted that Dr Balaji besides being the junior most of the team drawn from different departments stationed at Apollo Hospitals to aid and coordinate with the specialists treating the former Chief Minister was deputed on October 27, 2016, to attest the thumb impression of the then ailing Chief Minister in form B while filing the nominations for by-elections to Aravakuruchi, Thanjavur and Thiruparankundran. 

“There is a need to seek answer as to how Dr. Balaji was chosen despite the availability of four other reputed and senior government medical specialists stationed at Apollo Hospitals. There is also a controversy about Rs 5 lakh given to him by the health minister, within two days after this attestation, which was revealed in documents seized by the IT department at minister’s residence,” the plea added.