While scores of faculty positions continue to remain vacant in the new medical colleges, Government has been banking on academic arrangement, a short-term arrangement to bolster the faculty strength before the first batch joins in.
A few months ago, health and medical education department ina bid to secure the letter of permission for taking in the first batch of MBBS,engaged 26 faculty members on academic arrangement.
The move proved fruitful with Medical Council of Indiaaccording permission to four of the five newly established medical colleges ofthe State.
However, although the permission was granted, an official inthe department said, a considerable number of faculty positions continued toremain vacant and the Government had to give an undertaking to the medicaleducation regulatory body to fill the vacancies on fast-track.
In the last week of June, Government issued an advertisementfor GMC Rajouri, allowing doctors from health department to apply for somevacant faculty positions. However, no such advertisement was issued for othermedical colleges of the state facing shortage in various disciplines.
An administrator of these colleges said that sans therelaxation, which government had called “one time” earlier this year, facultyposts would remain vacant across these medical colleges.
Consultants working in the directorates of health servicesof Jammu and Kashmir divisions, with no prior experience of teaching but at thesame time fulfilling certain criteria were allowed to apply for the seniorfaculty positions in new medical colleges beginning this year, first time inhistory.
Although, the lateral entry of consultants as faculty wasallowed by Medical Council of India across the country, in J&K thegovernment further relaxed the rule allowing the doctors in district hospitalsto apply.
As per MCI, the relaxation could apply to doctors havingwork experience in a 300-bedded hospital. None of the district hospitals inJ&K has 300-bed strength.
A delegation of aspirants alleged that the government hadgiven a special concession to hospitals like district hospital (DH) Anantnag,DH Baramulla and JLNM Hospital while ignoring consultants working in otherhospitals. “This selective criterion apart from other criteria of MCI left scoresof disciplines without associate professor and professors and this is a legalfraud,” said an aspirant who was part of the delegation.
The delegation demanded re-advertisement of the vacantpositions and filling up on permanent basis.
They said re-advertising and subsequently allowing theconsultants of health services to apply, would discourage academic arrangementand save the career of hundreds, while benefitting the medical colleges in thelonger run.
Financial Secretary Health and Medical Education, AtalDulloo said the government was not planning to extend the onetime relaxationfor any new recruitments in GMC Anantnag, Baramulla and Kathua.
“The relaxation was just for Rajouri college and may bewe will have it in Doda as well as these colleges had very poor response todirect recruitments and academic arrangement,” he said.
He said the government was getting “very goodresponse” to academic arrangement for faculty positions. “For entrylevel positions we are having direct recruitment though and we are moving quitewell,” he said.