Medical teachers resent controversial order of H&ME Deptt on rotational HoD

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 24: Medical teachers of Government Medical College (GMC) Jammu as well as GMC Srinagar have expressed great displeasure and resentment on a controversial order issued by Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department regarding adoption of rotational headship in various departments of Government medical and dental colleges of Jammu and Kashmir.
As per the Order which was issued on 22-06-2023, in the department with one professor, the professor shall continue to be HoD of the department and in department with multiple professors, the post of HoD will be repeated amongst the professors every two years as per seniority.
“This order is against National Medical Commission teacher eligibility qualification rules and regulations regulating country medical education,” the medical teachers said while adding that on 18-11-2021, NMC issued a draft TEQ for country wide comments, wherein they proposed rotary headship for three years amongst the senior most professor. However, this invited country wide resentment and thus NMC has to drop this idea in the latest TEQ.
The faculty members further said that the latest order is also against the civil services regulation classification of the officer rule (1) A, where only senior most person can only head the department.
“Whereas, original norms of NMC recommend senior most professor to be head of the department. This order is going to create confusion and the indiscipline as well as affect the patient care seriously, further the control of department will be under multiple hands and thus there will be lack of responsibility and accountability on functioning of departments,” they alleged.
The medical teachers further said that the order has been order to facilitate and favor few of the faculty members who otherwise would have never been head of department based on their seniority both at GMC Jammu and Srinagar. They further said this order shall be injustice for those who are not holding the post of professors on account of non-availability of professors despite their eligibility.
Finally, they said that the order is not following the law of equivalence as should have been uniform in application for all the departments.