The select committee headed by Dr Susanta Banerjee, former director of medical education (DME), of the West Bengal University of Health Sciences (WBUHS) today, sat on a meeting to select three names out of around 10 applicants for the post of the WBUHS vice-chancellor (VC).

The five-member committee comprising members like state higher education minister Bratya Basu, Dr Nirmal Majhi, Trinamul Congress MLA and president of West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC), N S Nigam, principal secretary of the health department, and a representative of the National Medical Commission (NMC) will recommend three names to the state government to select one of the three contenders for the VC post.

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The VC post of the health university is lying vacant since August 2020 with the end of three years’ terms of the former VC Dr Rajendra Pandey, a nephrologist who was attached with the Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research (IPGME&R) as well SSKM Hospital. Pro-VC Dr Kakoli Bose Roy used to look after the VC’s jobs as an acting VC till 18 July. But the health department did not renew her as an acting VC after 18 July.

“We will select three out of the total applicants and then send the names to the honourable governor Jagdeep Dhankhar who is the chancellor of the health university,” Dr Banerjee of the select committee. More than one month ago Dhankhar had recommended Dr Banerjee, a strong sympathiser of BJP, as chairman of the select committee for the appointment of the VC of the university.

According to the health university rules, a five-member select committee headed by the chairman looks after the appointment procedure of the VC. The governor as a chancellor nominates the chairman. The state health and education ministers recommend their names each as two members of the committee the rest two members are representatives of theNMC and WBMC. Sources in the health department said that one senior gynaecologist cum obstetrician associated with SSKM Hospital is the frontrunner for the VC because he is reportedly close to a heavyweight minister in the Mamata Banerjee cabinet.

Two SSKM teaching doctors including the gynaecologist have applied for the VC post. The minister’s daughter is a resident medical officer (RMO) reportedly under the gynaecologist at SSKM Hospital.