Denying direct recruitment on senior faculty posts major roadblock
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, June 2: While the Government Medical College, Jammu and its associated hospitals are working under pressing circumstances with almost half of its sanctioned strength at present despite COVID-19 crisis, the denial of direct recruitment through Public Service Commission on several senior faculity posts in the GMC, Jammu in the region has led to major roadblock for the sons and daughters of the soil working at top positions in other health institutions in the country, who intend to return to their home places and serve here.
Highly placed sources in the Health & Medical Education Department told the Excelsior that in contravention to the guidelines of the Medical Council of India, for several higher faculty posts, the candidates with required qualifications and experience are not being placed to the higher posts at GMC Jammu. Moreover, the regular DPCs are not conducted for the years together, with the result, many posts are left vacant for the years and ultimately this has badly affected the health services in Jammu and Kashmir. The general public in J&K is being deprived of the services of top experienced doctors and inadequate strength of faculity members in Jammu GMC.
Sources disclosed that in PGI Chandigarh, AIIMS Delhi and many Medical Colleges outside J&K, the entry level for the faculty positions is at each level or three- tier, but in Govt Medical College Jammu and even Srinagar, the entry level is Lecturer then by promotion to the next higher level of Assistant Professor, then Associate Professor and then Professor/ HoD. For reaching or applying for Professor level post minimum 11 years of experience is required. But here no such provision is there.
Neither the people at the helm of affairs bothered to make the amendments, nor conducting regular DPCs to mitigate the sufferings. Even at SKIMS Srinagar three-tier entry level is there which is Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or Professor. In all the Medical Colleges in Harayana, the perks and other benefits includiing time bound promotions to the Medical faculty is as per PGIMS Rohtak. Now, most of the States in their Medical Colleges, have abolished the post of Lecturer, the sources added.
Unfortunately, the Government in J&K did not bother much to improve faculty position and clear the mess created in the Jammu Medical College for the years. Most of its Departments are running on Adhocism. The promotions are being accorded at own pay and grade without following time line and DPCs are not conducted for the 5-7 years. Strong resentment was there amongst the cadre against the attitude of the people at the helm of affairs.
The apathy of GMC Jammu gets explained with the fact that when there was need to have additional manpower amidst Corona crisis, about 199 posts out of the sanctioned strength of 405 are lying vacant in this Medical College, Super Specialty Hospital and other Associated Hospitals here as per Govt record and notification No.408 of Health and Medical Education Department dated 24-5-2021. The three major Departments Medicines, Orthopedics are working with less than half of its sanctioned strength. In Medicines Department, there are 29 sanctioned posts but 18 are lying vacant; in surgery 14 out of 29 sanctioned posts are vacant and in Orthopedics faculty , 7 out of 15 posts are vacant.
The Cancer/Oncology Department of GMC Jammu with huge load of entire region is having only five faculty members and in Urology Departyment out of four sanctioned posts, just one doctor of Associate Professor level is placed. There is no Lecturer, Assistant Professor or Professor having placed. In Gastroenterology Faculty, only one Lecturer is in place while other three higher level posts are lying vacant for years.
In Radiology, five posts of Lecturers, four posts of Assistant Professors, four posts of Associate Professors and two posts of Professors are lying vacant. Five posts in Psychiatry Faculty are lying vacant. There is no Professor or confirmed Associate Professor or Assistant Professor in this department. In Plastic Surgery Faculty there is just one doctor placed and no senior level doctor posted there. In Paediatrics Surgery there is only one doctor/ Associater Professor level placed and other three posts are lying vacant.
In Neuro Surgery, one Associate Professor and another Assistant Professor are placed while three posts were lying vacant and Neurology one post is filled while three are still vacant. In Microbiology, out of three posts of Professors only one (Dr Shashi Sudan Principal), is filled while two are lying vacant. Three posts of confirmed Associate Professors and three posts of Assistant Professors and four Lecturers are still lying vacant there. In Endocrinology, out of four posts only one that of Lecturer ( Dr Suman Kotwal) is filled while other three are lying vacant.
In Cardio Thoraci Anesthesiology Faculty, out of four sanctioned posts, only one of Professor level is filled while other three are lying vacant. In Cardio Thoracic Surgery, out of eight posts, only four are filled while in Cardiology Faculty out of eight posts, six are lying vacant . No body is placed at three posts of Lecturers and two posts of Asistant Professors in this important faculty. In CD & TB Faculty, out of five posts, three are lying vacant. Only Dr Rahul Gupta, Associate Professor is placed as I/C Professor to run the show, rest is left on the mercy of God. In Blood Bank of GMC Jammu, out of seven posts, six are lying vacant. Only Dr Meena Sidhu is placed there as Professor and nobody (Associate Prof/ Asstt Prof/ Lecturer), below her in the faculty has been placed.
Sources further revealed that a strong lobby of Medicos in the Govt Medical College Jammu, having influence in the power corridors, wants to maintain its supremacy for their vested interests, and is least bothered for the public sufferings. This lobby is so strong that on several occasions it discouraged sons/ daughters of the soil with vast experience of working in some top hospitals in the country to enter GMC Jammu or its associated hospitals. With the manipulation in connivance with some top officials at the helm of affairs, they manage the show at the cost of the suffering people of the J&K UT, who are made to move away for treatment in Punjab, Chandigarh or Delhi.
A senior doctor on the condition of anonymity told the Excelsior that if like other States and UTs, the Govt of J&K allows direct recruitment to higher faculty positions, instead of only Lecturer, many experienced doctors who are working in various repoted institutions in J&K or outside, would return and work here. Moreover, there is need to improve salary structure. He said as per MCI guidelines, 11 years experience besides requisite qualification is required for the eligibility for the post of Professor/ HoD, but unfortunately the etry level through PSC in GMCs of J&K is Lecturer only.
Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education, Atal Dulloo when contacted said that many vacant posts at GMC Jammu have been reffered to the Public Service Commission and moreover , for early conduct of DPC, the proposal has been mooted. The matter with regard to filling up of the Faculty posts has also been taken up with the Finance Department.
Dulloo further said the matter regarding direct entry to the higher faculty posts has been taken up at higher level and a proposal in this regard has been moved. He, however, maintained that the doctors are being accorded promotion in own pay and grade to their next posts in many cases but there is need to expedite DPC process.
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