SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Dec 5: The contractual senior teachers in government-owned five medical colleges in the State have been waiting for their salary payment for over a month.
The contract of retired associate professors and professors working in Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College Hospital (MGMMCH), Shahid Nirmal Mahto Medical College Hospital (SNMMCH) Dhanbad , Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) Hazaribagh, Medinirai Medical College Hospital (MMCH) Palamu and Phulo Jhano Medical College Hospital (PJMCH) Dumka completed on October 31.
Contract renewal
However, the state government has neither extended their contract further( from November 1) nor issued a notification for termination of their contract during the last 36 days.
Their honorarium payment of November has also not been paid so far, though they have continued attending their classes regularly as per routine since November 1.
The contractual teachers are worried about their held-up honorarium payments and the silence of the health department over their contract has complicated their plight further.
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A principal of a medical college when contacted said that teachers can’t be stopped from attending classes without instruction from the health department.
However, the Director of the Medical Education Wing, Jharkhand Health Department, Dr SK Singh, said that the file of extension is under process and the positive report would come soon. “If teachers are working they would get honorarium,” he said.
MGM principal asked to continue contractual teachers
A principal of another medical college said that on February 9, 2023, the health department had directed Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College Hospital (MGMMCH) Jamshedpur to continue contractual teachers till regular appointments are made on the post. The health department also directed not to issue fresh vacancy notices.
“ Of course, this direction was given to the principal of MGMMCH Jamshedpur but we (the principals of the other four medical colleges) also follow that instruction and hope an extension notification for contractual teachers will come soon,” said the principal, requesting not to be quoted.
Sources said principals of all five medical colleges had raised the issue of contractual teachers at the monthly review meeting on November 3.
The fate of three newly set up medical colleges ( Dumka, Hazaribagh and Palamu) which were reeling under an acute shortage of senior faculty members, is attached to contractual teachers. If their contract is not extended, the institutions will land in a major crisis.
In 2020, the National Medical Commission (NMC) banned admission to these medical colleges due to teachers’ deficiencies. However, the NMC approved it in the 2021 session after interference from Chief Minister Hemant Soren.
