Vijaya Sumputh resigns from Trust Fund for Specialised Medical Care

Vijaya Sumputh has resigned as head of the Trust Fund for Specialised Medical Care on Thursday. She explained that she has taken this decision “for very obvious reasons”. “I made the decision to submit my resignation after much thought. I was humiliated by Minister Husnoo,” she said on Radio Plus. The monthly salary of Vijaya Sumputh as director of the Trust Fund for Specialized Medical Care is subject to much controversy.

On Tuesday, Minister of Health, Anwar Husnoo, stated in the National Assembly that Vijaya Sumputh receives a salary of Rs 323,000 per month. He gave this information after a question by MMM MP Rajesh Bhagwan. Following this, the Minister of Tourism and former Health Minister, Anil Gayan, said that Anwar Husnoo’s answer lacked honesty. Mr Gayan said that the salary increase of Rs 100,000 received by Vijaya Sumputh is temporary, and was only effective for a transition period.

"Anwar Husnoo's answer does not hold the whole truth. I talked to him about the matter and I told him that the law allows him to give directions if he does not agree. I am not surprised by the attitude and tone adopted by the Minister of Health. Even my MSM colleagues are shocked. I trust that an inquiry is needed because it is not a permanent salary. It should be noted that the salaries of senior officials are revised by the High Powered Committee and this is what has been done in the case of Vijaya Sumputh,” explained the former Minister of Health Anil Gayan.

On her side, Vijaya Sumputh said that she felt humiliated. “He [Minister Husnoo] said that he gave directions, but that's not the case. Neither the committee nor I have received a directive from him," uttered the former director of the Trust Fund for Specialized Medical Care. According to Vijaya Sumputh, the Senior Chief Executive of the Ministry of Health informed her on 18 January that, following her complaints to the Pay Research Bureau, her salary would be aligned with that of the other directors of the Cardiac Center. “And as a result of the new responsibilities I was given, the Senior Chief Executive came to see me personally and told me that I would be given a temporary allowance. In my opinion, all procedures have been followed. I am a lawyer by profession and I will continue doing politics,” stated Vijaya Sumputh.