A crucial meeting of the Institute Body of AIIMS tomorrow is expected to decide the fate of Director Dr P. Venugopal. According to those close to him, Venugopal is going to attend the meeting.

It is being held despite a pending decision on a case challenging the Institute Body composition and legality of holding such a meeting. “The order will come at 10.30 am tomorrow but we will still attend the meeting,’’ said a member.

A decision to terminate the services of Venugopal will have a major impact in the dengue affected Capital, as the faculty today decided to go for a 24-hour strike in case of such an eventuality. AIIMS is one of the main hospitals for treatment of the disease, which has already taken over 30 lives.

“We will go for a 24-hour strike if the happenings of July 5, 2006 meeting are repeated. First we will close down the wards and then emergency services after 24 hours,’’ said a senior faculty member.

According to the agenda circulated to the 17 members of the body, Venugopal would be asked to explain allegations of “failures and mismanagement” in the functioning of the institute.

Unlike the July 5, 2006 meeting, the eminent surgeon will be given a chance to defend the charges levelled against him — of “total collapse of the AIIMS administration, supporting the anti-reservation stir, lack of accountablity and transparency, and failure to prevent mosquito breeding on the campus”.

The meeting will be held in Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss’ Nirman Bhawan office and will be video-taped.