Arfa Khanum Sherwani 
Professor Om Shankar, head of cardiology at the Banaras Hindu University’s Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS), has been removed from his post after a two-week hunger strike demanding additional beds in the new super specialty block.
The professor spoke with The Wire about what he calls “the impending health crisis.”
Shankar’s hunger strike, initiated on May 12, not only highlighted concerns over bed allocation but also alleged mismanagement. Meanwhile. the IMS director Professor S.N. Sankhwar stated that 61 beds were allocated to the cardiology department in the new block, 13 more than before.
The situation underscores ongoing tensions between the cardiology department and administration, and an overarching failure of understanding.