Already short of teaching staff, Government Medical College Srinagar could face derecognition of some under-graduate and post-graduate courses if its faculty strength depletes further, a letter from the college to government authorities reveals.
According to the official letter, GMC Srinagar has a shortfall of 47 percent faculty. Out of the 460 sanctioned faculty positions, only 243 are in place, which is way below the MCI recommended strength.
Not just this, the much-hyped super-specialty hospital of GMC Srinagar too has 80 percent shortage of faculty. Out of the 72 posts, only 11 are filled, leaving 61 positions vacant.
Adding to the worries of authorities is that at least 12 faculty members of the college have submitted applications to health and medical education (H&ME) department for permission to “shift” to the five upcoming medical colleges in J&K, an official at GMC Srinagar.
The official added that no decision has been taken on the requests for shifting to the other new colleges.
The prospect poses a “precarious situation” for the college. Officials at GMC Srinagar fear any further drop in faculty may result in medical education regulatory body, the MCI to de-recognise courses offered by it.
The “apprehensions” were voiced by the GMC in a letter to the state Government on 16 January.
“The faculty strength in GMC Srinagar is already depleted,” the letter reads.
The communication expresses concern that the “MCI may derecognise or withdraw its permission for admission to under-graduate and post-graduate courses of GMC Srinagar” if the existing faculty was allowed to make “lateral entry to the newly established colleges”.
On 16 January, the H&ME department issued an order to allow filling up of professor and associate professor posts in the upcoming medical colleges “by way of lateral entry as one time absorption”.
Subsequently, two selection committees were also constituted, one each for Jammu and Kashmir divisions of the state.
The official said the GMC Srinagar had communicated its reservations prior to the government order allowing lateral entry of the faculty.
“Minutes of that meeting were also sent to the government from medical college after heads of 21 departments unanimously agreed on fallouts of such a move to allow lateral entry,” the official said.
The current status of GMC Srinagar was discussed in a meeting of the HoDs on January 11.
Minutes of the meeting reveal that depletion of faculty will have ramifications for the recognition of 50 MBBS seats the college was allowed to add by the MCI.
The first batch of the enhanced capacity graduated recently.
“In near future, if MCI finds us lacking in manpower and infrastructure, they will not hesitate in withdrawing the recognition,” a senior faculty member said.
Another faculty member at GMC Srinagar said, before 2006 when common seniority of GMC Jammu and GMC Srinagar existed, the department of orthopedics and pediatrics at GMC Srinagar were de-recognised for four consecutive years “just for want of one faculty member”.
He said that the order splitting the seniority of the two colleges was issued in 2018 which was expected to help strengthen faculty in the two GMCs.
The new order that permits faculty to “shift” from the present colleges to the upcoming colleges was a step to “undo” the progress made, the faculty member said.
However, another senior faculty at GMC Srinagar said “surplus” faculty in some departments of the college could be allowed to shift to other colleges.
“Lateral entry from these departments will in fact help in development of the new medical colleges,” he said.
Many faculty members at GMC Srinagar hoped the Government will make efforts to “develop faculty for the new medical colleges” rather than indulging in “loot” of resources from the existing ones.