Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 3: In order to avoid the impending crisis, which may lead to the de-recognition by the Medical and Dental Councils of India, the Medical Education Department has decided to increase the retirement age of the faculty members of the Government Medical and Dental Colleges of the State and a memorandum in this regard has been submitted to the General Administration Department for placement before the Cabinet for final decision. Moreover, a new system of procurement of medicines is being planned from the next financial year beginning from April 1, 2013.
Authoritative sources told EXCELSIOR that while reviewing the faculty position in the Government Medical and Dental Colleges of Jammu and Srinagar recently, Minister for Medical Education Taj Mohi-ud-Din noticed the situation as alarming. He also observed that there was no addition in the faculty members despite increase in the vacancies with every passing year.
He also came to know that out of 25 Head of Departments from clinical side in the Government Medical Colleges of Jammu and Srinagar, eight are going to attain the age of superannuation by March this year and would further compound the situation vis-à-vis availability of faculty members.
Accordingly, Minister for Medical Education felt it imperative to increase the retirement age of the faculty members to avoid the impending crisis which if not taken seriously at present would lead to de-recognition of these colleges by the Medical Council and Dental Council of India.
“On the instructions of Taj Mohi-ud-Din, Medical Education Department prepared a memorandum for increasing the retirement age of faculty members from existing 58 to 60 years and the same has now been submitted to the General Administration Department for placement before the Cabinet for final decision”, sources said.
When contacted, Taj Mohi-ud-Din confirmed that Cabinet memorandum has been submitted about enhancing the retirement age of faculty members of Government Medical and Dental Colleges of the State. “From where I will bring the faculty members to run the Medical and Dental Colleges if we fail to give some incentives to them like increasing retirement age”, he said, adding “moreover, the increasing retirement is also imperative in order to avoid de-recognition threat from the Medical and Dental Councils”.
When asked whether his proposal would be cleared by the Cabinet, the Medical Education Minister said, “if we have to run the colleges we will have to take this decision. No other option is available for us. Moreover, what is the harm in raising the retirement age when we are already compelled to engage doctors on academic arrangements”.
Responding to another question, Taj said, “the proposal to enhance the retirement age of faculty members would come up in the Cabinet meeting to be held after the one taking place on February 5. In this Cabinet meeting only Governor address for the State Legislature Session beginning from February 28, would be discussed and cleared”.
The Medical Education Minister also disclosed that a new system of procurement of medicines for the Medical and Dental Colleges would be in place from April this year. “The purchases would be made by the respective Colleges after taking the requirement from the Head of Departments”, he said, adding “purchases would be made under the Jan Ayushidi Scheme of the Union Government, which has already been implemented in majority of the States. In our state, this option could not be explored till date because of strong drug mafia”.
“Besides being highly potent the drugs so purchased under the Government of India scheme would be cheaper also”, he said in response to another question.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel