Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 9: The Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department, in a series of its orders, has promoted nearly 243 members of teaching faculty of Medical Education cadre working in various Government Medical Colleges (GMCs) of Jammu and Kashmir.
Congratulating the elevated faculty members, Secretary Health and Medical Education Department Bhupinder Kumar exuded confidence that all the Government Medical Colleges in J&K will become centers of excellence in teaching, research and patient care, and make J&K emerge as hub of Medical Education.
Out of the 243 promotees, 92 belong to GMC Srinagar while 73 are from GMC Jammu. In new Government Medical Colleges of J&K, which are at the nascent stage of their development, most of the direct recruits at the level of Assistant Professor have been elevated. These include 20 faculty members of GMC Anantnag, 15 of GMC Baramulla, 12 of GMC Doda, 17 of GMC Kathua and 14 of GMC Rajouri.
Most of the elevated doctors include those who have rendered requisite service as teaching faculty in various disciplines in Government Medical Colleges including newly established GMCs as per National Medical Commission’s minimum qualification for teachers’ eligibility regulations.
A meticulous exercise was undertaken in the Health and Medical Education Department in recent months to proactively attend to and resolve the service matters of faculty members of GMCs. Notably, the unprecedented elevation of 167 faculty members in old GMCs will aid in enhancement of Post Graduate seats in GMC Srinagar and Jammu, besides, motivating the senior faculty members to further strengthen the teaching and research activities in the medical colleges.
The H&ME Department is also referring the vacancies accrued at the entry level in all the new GMCs to JKPSC for fast track selections to conform to the requirements of Medical Assessment & Rating Board of National Medical Commission. Pertinently, the H&ME Department has already obtained all the requisite permission in favour of new GMCs from NMC.
The Department has successfully operationalized all the new GMCs in conformity with guidelines of National Medical Commission. The Department has also received Letter of Permission (LoP) from NMC for starting MBBS batches of 100 students each in GMC Udhampur and Handwara.