While there is sufficient number of posts in the GMC as well as at the various government hospitals across the State, the vacancies are just not being filled up. Herald found out after talking to various stakeholders in the government health system as well as outside that some of the vacancies have not been filled up for as long as a decade; however, the surmise is that the main problem here is that there is no system in place to monitor the vacancies, and the government’s Health Department looks at the overall minimum required and not the department-wise filling up of vacancies.
For example:
Surgery –: Sanctioned 18. Available 9
The department of surgery is working with almost 50% of the minimum required staff.
According to Medical Council of India, to run this particular specialization, the minimum required number of the faculty is 18. However, there is only 9 staff, or 50% short with no serious effort being made to fill up the vacant posts. According to insiders, the fault lies with the bureaucracy and this transcends governments and because of this the Department has sunk to the present depths from its earlier glories.
Also, the reason for doctors not coming forward to join these departments is that the common practice is that after surgery, doctors go in for super specialties. But here there is no super specialty except neuro surgery. For a super specialty, the number of faculties required is 3 and surgery has 2 faculties for all departments. So for super specialties like plastic surgery and urology, doctors are moving outside the State.According to them, the government is still following that archaic policy of basic sciences and they feel that evolving is simply buying new machines.They say that the minute you start super specialty and make 3 years residency compulsory before super specialty, the vacancies will all be filled up.
Orthopedic surgery – HoD suspended for corruption, the second in command indicted by the JMFC Court for child abuse
This is another major department that has vacancies and gets the maximum burden of trauma cases across the State. Young doctors are seen working continuously for three days. The Head of this Department has been suspended for corrupt practices and the second in command is a doctor indicted by the JMFC Court for child abuse
Medicine – Sanctioned 18, Available 14
A minimum faculty of 18 is needed for teaching medicine which is the bedrock of all courses.
The hospital works under a tremendous load as a visit to the facility will show. And there are posts required. But according to stakeholders, for this there has to be a system in place – like a warning system for a disaster, which raises a red flag 6 months prior to the post falling vacant.
Every post at the GMC has lapsed due to complete apathy on part of the health department to fill them up in time. According to senior faculty, posts are kept vacant for those with political and other connections. As soon as they arrive on the scene, the posts are advertised and filled up. And once in, they remain even till they complete their tenures. At the moment, there are at least 2 such cases of very influential doctors and every effort is being made to see that they their tenures are extended.
