Srinagar, Nov 25: At least 13 departments in Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar are without professors while eight more professors are going to retire in next 7-months.
Departments of Psychiatry, Ophthalmology, Physiology, Chest Medicine, Anatomy, Radio Diagnosis and Imaging, Radiotherapy, Pharmacology, Pathology, Forensic Medicine, Bio-chemistry, Microbiology, and Blood Bank are without professors.
Non-availability of professors in these departments has disappointed the scores of doctors, who want to pursue higher studies. A professor can guide two postgraduate students while as an assistant professor gets only one PG student. Hence, the retirement of professors would affect the intake capacity of the post graduate students.
Talking to Greater Kashmir principal GMC, Dr Shahida Mir said, “College is left with very few professors. Till 2013 at least 28 faculty members are retiring. This will affect the intake capacity of Post Graduates students.”
“Every discipline needs one professor to remain recognized. Since, several departments are without professors and many more are retiring, the undergraduate courses are also under the threat of de-recognition,” Shahida said.
Sources said the scarcity of professors in the GMC has also happened due to improper promotion system adopted by the government. The state government has adopted four-tier system of promotion in Jammu and Kashmir while as in other states three-tier system has been adopted as per the MCI guidelines. In JK entry level is lecturer, who is promoted to assistant professor, then associate professor and finally professor, which takes at least 13-years. While as outside J&K a doctor takes only 9-years to reach to the post of a professor under three-tier system of promotion.
“Since, the government is not following the MCI guidelines for promotion of teaching faculty in the GMC. Scores of lecturers and assistant professors are awaiting the promotion for past several years, which has created a big gap in the availability of professors,” Shahida added.
She said the retirement age of faculty members in Medical Colleges outside Jammu and Kashmir had been enhanced to 70 by MCI. “However, in our state it is still 58 years,” she said.
Lack of teaching faculty had affected the GMC earlier also. Three years back the Medical Council of India had asked the college authorities to stop issuing post graduate degree from department of Paediatrics, Dermatology and Ophthalmology in GMC for want of requisite teaching faculty. These departments however were recognized by the MCI in 2009.
The lack of professors in GMC has affected the Rural Health Services Department, which needs specialist doctors with post graduate qualification in district and sub-district hospitals.

Lastupdate on : Thu, 25 Nov 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 25 Nov 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 26 Nov 2010 00:00:00 IST