21% of teaching posts vacant in Govt medical colleges in Vid

By Vikas Vaidya

Though the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER) has taken efforts to fill up teaching posts in Government medical colleges and hospitals in State, the faculty is still woefully short of requirement. In Vidarbha region alone, 21 per cent of the posts in three important categories -- Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor -- are vacant. This has affected the quality of teaching and handling of patients at hospitals attached to medical colleges.
Vidarbha region has five medical colleges including Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Nagpur; Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital, Nagpur; Super Speciality Hospital (SSH), Nagpur; GMCH at Akola and Yavatmal. Of a total 110 posts of Professor, 25 are vacant. Similarly, 69 out of 265 sanctioned posts are vacant in the category of Associate Professor. In the category of Assistant Professor, 71 out of 407 sanctioned posts are vacant. If one clubs all these three important posts together, there are a total of 782 sanctioned posts in above-mentioned five medical colleges and attached hospitals in Vidarbha region. However, 165 of them are vacant. Of these 21 per cent vacancies, maximum 45 posts in all three categories are vacant in GMCH at Nagpur and Yavatmal each.
The number of vacancies of Professors is not worrisome, but the same can not be said about Associate Professors and Assistant Professors. The last two categories play an important role in handling patients apart from teaching. The problem is not restricted to Vidarbha region alone, but it also ails medical education throughout the State in Government medical institutions. Mumbai, too, has 60 plus posts vacant in the category of Associate Professor. Number of vacancies is lesser in the category of Assistant Professor. Pune division, which has three Government medical colleges, have lesser vacancies in all three categories.
The highest number of posts are in the category of Assistant Professor. However, of a total 1,179 posts filled up, 587 have been filled up through Divisional Selection Board (DSB). The doctors appointed through DSB are governed by the fear of losing the job, as they have not been regularised.
Five medical colleges and hospitals in Vidarbha have 121 posts of Assistant Professor filled up through DSB. In Professor category, seven posts have been filled up on ad-hoc basis. In all, 39 Associate Professors also are in the same category. The total sanctioned posts in Professor category in State are 362, out of which 232 have been filled up on regular basis, and 27 on ad-hoc basis. Of a total 934 posts of Associate Professor in State, 460 have been filled up on regular basis and 113 on ad-hoc basis. As many as 592 posts in the category of Assistant Professor have been filled up on regular basis while 587 through DSB.
Of a total 362 sanctioned posts of Professor in State, 103 are vacant. Similarly, of a total 934 posts of Associate Professor, 361 are vacant. In the category of Assistant Professor, of a total 1,434 sanctioned posts, 255 are vacant.
D P Sawant, Minister of State for Medical Education told ‘The Hitavada’ that the Government had declared during winter session of State Legislature that within a month promotions would be made and appointments made through DSB would be regularised in two months. “We stick to our promise and soon you will see the results,” he added.
Welcoming the Government’s announcement, Dr Sameer Golawar, Vice-President of Maharashtra State Medical Teachers Association (MSMTA) said that the Government should effect time-bound promotions and scale. “It is being done in most of the states barring Maharashtra. DSB lecturers should be regularised or we will not get people for the post of Associate Professor. Teachers appointed through DSB should get finanacial benefits equivalent to regular ones from the date of joining. They did not get arrears of Sixth Pay Commission. The Government should consider this also,” he demanded.

Vacancies in medical colleges in Vidarbha
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Institute         Professors     Associate Professors     Assistant Professors
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GMCH Nagpur     10                              20             15
IGGMCH Nagpur     02                           09             14
SSH Nagpur      04                                   07             03
GMCH Yavatmal     04                            23             18
GMCH Akola         05                                 10             21
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Total in Vid        25                                      69             71
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