Palamu MP seeks central probe into MMCH Daltonganj, flags shortage of faculty and infrastructure gaps
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Daltonganj, October 26: Palamu MP Vishnu Dayal Ram has written to Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda, seeking…
Medinirai Medical College and Hospital in Daltonganj, Palamu district.
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, October 26: Palamu MP Vishnu Dayal Ram has written to Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda, seeking the deployment of a high-level central team to investigate the functioning of Medinirai Medical College and Hospital (MMCH) in Daltonganj and the utilisation of public funds, sources said.
The MP’s letter, dated October 21, was made available to mediapersons on Saturday, October 24. The move has reportedly stirred concern in the medical fraternity.
BJP sources said the MP’s demand for a central investigation pointed to a gradual deterioration in healthcare delivery in Palamu. They also described his decision to seek the Union Health Ministry’s intervention directly, bypassing the state government, as a serious matter.
In his letter, Ram flagged what he described as “significant deficiencies” in healthcare delivery, medical infrastructure, the availability of doctors and faculty members, hospital sanitation and the utilisation of public funds.
He urged Nadda to order an investigation into funds provided to the medical college and hospital over the years under the National Health Mission (NHM) and the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).
The letter also raised questions about the status of the proposed 500-bed hospital and the functioning of diagnostic facilities, including the CT scanner, ultrasound machine and digital X-ray equipment. According to the letter, these facilities have faced operational problems at different times for various reasons.
The MP requested the Union Health Minister to “treat (this letter) with urgency”.
Attempts by this correspondent to contact Ram through three phone calls were unsuccessful. He did not answer the calls, and no callback was received before the report was filed.
A faculty member at the medical college, who declined to be identified, said the proposed 500-bed hospital had remained far from completion and handover for the past five years.
Hospital sources said the CT scan facility had faced delays in making reports available online, with results sometimes taking as long as four hours. The digital X-ray and ultrasound machines were also reportedly prone to technical faults.
The shortage of faculty members has been a persistent concern since the medical college began functioning in 2019, medical college sources said.
The institution admitted its first MBBS batch in the 2019–20 academic session. However, it reportedly failed to admit any first-year MBBS students in 2020–21 after the National Medical Commission (NMC) halted admissions, citing a severe shortage of faculty members.
Faculty shortage raises concern over NMC compliance
Medical college sources said around 11 professor posts and 30 assistant professor posts needed to be filled urgently to address faculty deficiencies and avoid possible strict action by the NMC. The commission’s deadline for rectifying nine critical deficiencies reportedly expired on August 6 this year.
The principal of the medical college, Dr Jakka Srinivas Rao, acknowledged the seriousness of the faculty shortage.
“The faculty deficiencies are quite critical here. There is an acute dearth of assistant professors and professors. We have workable numbers of associate professors,” Rao said.
“The state health department is too concerned about it. Efforts are on to appoint faculties in the medical college,” he added.
Despite the faculty shortage and infrastructure gaps reported since its inception in 2019, the institution has continued to operate with an annual first-year MBBS intake of 100 seats, according to medical college sources. The 2020–21 academic session was an exception, with no first-year admissions.
Rao said two female students from Meghalaya had secured admission to the first-year MBBS course for the 2026–27 academic session under the Central Nominee quota.
However, medical college sources said the NMC had granted permission for admissions in the current academic session subject to strict conditions following the identification of nine critical deficiencies in the institution’s Annual Disclosure Report (ADR).
Ram’s request for a central investigation has brought renewed attention to the reported shortcomings at the government-run medical institution, including faculty vacancies, infrastructure delays, diagnostic services and the utilisation of public funds.
