SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Oct 16: According to a recent survey conducted by the Federation of All India Medical Association (FAIMA), 40% of MBBS students feel that the environment of both government and private medical colleges in Jharkhand is toxic.
The nationwide survey revealed that 73.9% of medical students face excessive clerical work, only 44% have access to functional skills labs, just 50% of interns receive timely stipends, and only 29.5% enjoy fixed working hours.
FAIMA National Co-Chairman Dr. Jaideep Kumar Choudhary said that over 2,008 MBBS students, senior residents, teachers, and professors from 28 states and two union territories’ medical colleges, including Jharkhand, participated in the survey.
The survey further found that 89.4% of respondents believe that poor infrastructure directly harms the quality of medical education in the country.
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Condition of Medical Colleges in Jharkhand
In Jharkhand, the survey covered five government medical colleges—MGMMCH Jamshedpur, SNMMCH Dhanbad, PJMCH Dumka, MMCH Palamu, and SBMCH Hazaribagh—as well as two private institutions, Tata Manipal Medical College Jamshedpur and Chandravanshi Medical College Palamu.
Results showed that only 71.5% of students reported adequate patient exposure, 54.3% said they receive regular teaching sessions, and just 69.2% found laboratory and equipment facilities satisfactory. The survey identified the worst conditions in colleges opened in 2019, namely SBMCH Hazaribagh, MMCH Palamu, and PJMCH Dumka.
Shortage of Faculty and Poor Infrastructure
Newly established medical colleges are struggling with a shortage of teachers and senior faculty members, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient lab facilities and equipment, and lack of student and resident security in hostels.
Since district hospitals are attached to these colleges, students report limited patient exposure, and interns often do not receive timely stipends despite long working hours.
Even older institutions such as MGMMCH Jamshedpur and SNMMCH Dhanbad face a critical shortage of professors and senior teachers, affecting the overall quality of teaching.
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Lack of Training and Support Systems
The survey emphasized that insufficient training and teaching facilities, combined with inadequate faculty and infrastructure, could lead to the production of poorly trained doctors, ultimately affecting the medical standards of the country.
FAIMA also pointed out that recommendations from the National Task Force 2024—including fixed duty hours, mental health counselors, annual parental engagement, and 10-day mental health leave—have largely not been implemented.
Way Forward
“FAIMA will submit the survey report to the Union Health Minister and the Chairman of the National Medical Commission (NMC) to push for improvements in medical colleges’ infrastructure and teaching standards across the country,” said Dr. Jaideep Kumar Choudhary.
