SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, June 20: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has expressed serious concern over the shortage of faculty members in all five government medical colleges of Jharkhand.
During a video conference on Thursday with Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Ajay Kumar Singh and the principals and superintendents of MGMMCH Jamshedpur, SNMMCH Dhanbad, PJMCH Dumka, SBMCH Hazaribagh, and MMCH Palamu, the NMC highlighted persistent deficiencies in staffing across these institutions.
ACS Health Ajay Kumar Singh informed the NMC that steps are being taken to address the issue. He said that faculty positions, including professors and associate professors, are being filled through both promotions and contractual appointments. The recruitment process is currently underway to fill remaining vacancies.
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Physical Appearance Skipped, Principals Not Heard
The NMC had earlier summoned both the ACS (Health) and Director of Medical Education (DME) Dr. S.K. Singh for an in-person hearing in Delhi on June 19, following unsatisfactory responses from the medical colleges. However, only Dr. Singh appeared in person, while ACS Ajay Kumar Singh joined via video conferencing, citing urgent administrative work.
Due to Singh’s virtual participation, the principals and superintendents of the five medical colleges were not allowed to present their statements directly, further frustrating the commission.
NMC May Issue Notice Over Delayed Compliance
Sources indicated that the NMC had originally emailed all five colleges on May 13, seeking detailed compliance reports on various operational issues, with a deadline of May 19. However, the replies submitted were found inadequate, prompting the call for a physical hearing.
Based on the June 19 video conference, the NMC is now expected to issue a formal notice to the ACS (Health) within a week, seeking concrete updates on compliance efforts.
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Faculty Crisis Deepens With Retirements
Adding to the ongoing crisis, the recent retirement of around 10 senior professors from SNMMCH Dhanbad and MGMMCH Jamshedpur has severely impacted academic and clinical functioning. With no assistant professors appointed yet, the institutions are reeling under acute faculty shortages.
Retired professors include Prof. M.L. Jamal and Prof. D.K. Sinha from MGMMCH Jamshedpur, and Prof. Jyotiranjan Prasad, Dr. Makradhwaj Prasad, Prof. K.K. Lal, Dr. D.P. Bhushan, Dr. Anil Kumar, and Prof. U.K. Ojha from SNMMCH Dhanbad. Their respective departments are currently functioning without senior leadership.
Furthermore, two more professors from MGMMCH—Prof. Ajay Raj and Prof. Ravindra Kumar—are also set to retire by the end of June, compounding the faculty crisis.
