Russia's top eye doctor was fired by the government Thursday, a day after a Moscow court reinstated him in his job.
When Khristo Takhchidi arrived at Moscow's Eye Microsurgery Clinic to resume work as the institution’s top doctor, he was greeted by a Health and Social Development Ministry representative, who showed him an order of dismissal dated for Friday, RIA-Novosti reported.
Takhchidi called his new dismissal “unfounded” and accused ministry officials of making “some kind of circus” out of it. He vowed to appeal again.
Moscow City Court on Wednesday ordered that Takhchidi be reinstated. The ruling came six months after he was fired over allegations of corruption.
The ministry had accused the clinic of demanding bribes from patients while Takhchidi was in charge. He had held the top post since 2001.
A health ministry representative told RIA-Novosti on Wednesday that the violations uncovered at Eye Microsurgery had been confirmed by the Prosecutor General's Office.
Takhchidi, however, said prosecutors discovered no illegal activity during his time as the clinic's head surgeon.
After Takhchidi was fired in November, his job was given to a high-ranking United Russia member, Dr. Alexander Chukhrayov.
At the time, Takhchidi said his ouster was part of a two-year campaign to sack him. He did not hazard a guess as to why his superiors would try to do that.
Moskovsky Komsomolets reported that he had refused to participate in a corruption scheme.
