Dr. Ajoy Singh becomes 1st Jharkhand doctor on IMA Journal Advisory Board

SUBHASH MISHRA

Dhanbad, June 2: Dr. Ajoy Kumar Singh, a veteran plastic surgeon from Jharkhand capital Ranchi, has been appointed as a member of the Advisory Board of the Journal of Indian Medical Association (JIMA), a prestigious national and international journal of IMA.

Out of the 56 members on the Advisory Board, Dr. Singh is the sole representative from Jharkhand and Bihar. This marks the first time a doctor from Jharkhand has been selected for this position.

Alongside 50 members from across India, six doctors from London and other international locations also form part of the board. The tenure for each Advisory Board member is two years, and this is the second time Dr. Singh has been honored with this role, appointed by the new IMA national secretary.

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Boost for Medical College Teachers in Jharkhand

Senior faculty from state medical colleges believe that Dr. Singh’s inclusion on the JIMA Advisory Board will significantly benefit medical college teachers by facilitating the publication of their research papers in national and international journals.

Publishing at least two research papers is a mandatory criterion for the promotion of medical college faculty—from assistant professor to associate professor and from associate professor to professor. Due to the lack of published research, several teachers across all six medical colleges in Jharkhand have faced delays in their career advancement.

During routine inspections, both the Indian Medical Council (IMC) and the National Medical Commission (NMC) have repeatedly raised concerns over these promotion issues.

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Endorsement from Medical Community

Dr. Kameswar Biswas, former principal of Shaheed Nirmal Mahto Medical College Hospital (SNMMCH) and a lifelong member of JIMA, highlighted the importance of publishing in JIMA for career progression.

He shared that both Bihar and Jharkhand governments consider research papers published in JIMA when assessing promotions of medical faculty. “I personally earned points toward my promotion from research published in JIMA back in 1987,” Dr. Biswas recalled.

Dr. Singh’s Academic Contributions

Dr. Ajoy Kumar Singh has had a distinguished teaching career. He was among the founding faculty members of the Plastic Surgery Department at Patliputra Medical College Hospital (PMCH), Patna, serving during 1985-86, 1990-91, and 1991-95.

Before that, he taught at Rajendra Medical College Hospital (now Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, RIMS), Ranchi, from 1986 to 1990. His extensive experience in medical education and surgery has greatly contributed to his recognition in the medical community.