Faculty, infra deficiencies may mar hopes of GMC
Govind Sharma
JAMMU, Jan 17: Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Jammu is likely to lose another golden chance of getting increased a good number of PG seats due to infrastructure and faculty deficiencies.
According to official sources, like previous year, Medical Council of India has once again invited applications from Principals/Deans of various Government run medical institutions across the country including GMC Jammu and Srinagar for one time increase in PG seats in clinical courses, under revised student-teacher ratio.
“The circular was issued by MCI on December 22 and the last date of the submission of application with full details of number of faculty members, clinical material and infrastructure is January 19”, sources said. However, they maintained that GMC Jammu will unlikely be able to reap the benefit of this opportunity, as neither of the parameters on which enhancement of seats will be considered is up to the mark.
Sources said that the most important parameter for an institution to seek enhancement of seats is faculty members and the MCI has also relaxed rules in this connection. They said earlier 2 students could be allotted to a Professor, one to an Associate Professor and one to an Assistant Professor (having eight years experience) but according to new rules, a Professor can now take 3 students, an Associate Professor (unit holder in the department) may be allotted 2 students while an Assistant Professor can take only one student like earlier.
But these relaxations will not be much beneficial for the GMC, as out of nearly 230 faculty members of the institution, more than 90 faculty members are on Own Pay Grade (OPG) posts while as MCI considers only DPC confirmed faculty on any post for the sake of head count and ignores faculty members on OPG posts.
“Hence, 40 percent of faculty of the institution will be counted one step down in their respective cadre of Professor, Associate Professor, and Assistant Professor which is directly going to affect allotment of PG seats”, sources said, adding these faculty members were promoted on OPG basis about more than two years ago but file of DPC is still gathering dust in the PSC and concerned department for the want of much awaited SRO for separation of seniority, which is mandatory for any DPC promotion.
“Whatever going to be reasons for non-conduct of DPC promotion and that too despite last two consecutive warning by MCI and filing of affidavits by the State Government for conducting DPC but MCI will surely not accept any excuse regarding faculty deficiency, which is going to be there unless the DPC is convened by the department immediately”, sources said.
The second parameter which will be considered by the MCI for enhancement of PG seats is infrastructure but sources regretted that the GMC Jammu has even failed to complete the targets of infrastructure deficiencies pointed out by MCI in its last two inspections conducted for enhancement of MBBS seats from 100 to 150. That means the Institution is not in position to meet additional infrastructure requirement for enhanced postgraduate seats in various clinical streams.
“The non-serious approach of the concern administrative department is likely to kill aspirations of the many PG aspirants of the State”, sources said, adding, if like last year GMC Jammu does not get more PG seats it will be a great setback for the whole Jammu region, where many health institutions are being run without doctors. This will also be a setback for the Union Government as such enhancement of the PG seats across the country has been conceived to generate more qualified doctors, who can serve in the periphery and various newly announced new medical colleges.
When contacted, Principal, GMC Jammu, Dr Sunanda Raina, said that she has personally submitted all the documents with all details of faculty and infrastructure to the MCI and hoped that this time the institution will get a good number of increase in PG seats.
On faculty deficiency and non-conduct of DPC, she said that there is no delay on their part as they have already submitted all the necessary documents to the administrative department for conducting of DPC. Speaking on infrastructure, Dr Sunanda said that most of the deficiencies pointed out by the MCI in their previous visit have been removed and work on remaining infrastructure projects are in full swing.
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