Ernakulam Medical College yet to pick up pace

Kochi: 4 years of a Government takeover of the Ernakulam, Government Medical College hasn’t made much headway for the hospital on the operational and patient care fronts, feel staff and workers who have been with the institution ever since its inception. Faculty members, at a recent meeting, had mentioned planning a token strike on January 9 against the slackened state of affairs.

Though infrastructural development has begun to gather pace of late feel employees, human resource continues to lag behind, they add.

They substantiate the statement by saying that despite the creation of a 108 new posts by the government and new nurse and administrative appointments, not many discernable changes can be seen in the various departments, said a doctor.

“Many faculty positions still lie vacant. Some vacancies were filled up by appointing doctors from other medical colleges. While the nursing staff strength is said to have gone up to 180 with the creation of 65 posts, it does not reflect in the work done,” added the doctor who has been working with the hospital for the past 10 years.

The casualty seems to be the only wing reflecting work outputs in a professional fashion, added another medical practitioner.

Categorised as regular, contract, and daily wagers, employees lack cohesiveness, with the government continuing to stay unclear about their status categories. The integration process remains slack, the employees reflect.

Categorizing of staff has led to divisive forces emerging, with regular employees continuing to remain optimistic about integration, despite delays. Employees of other categories feel the disadvantage.

Principal Dr. V.K. Sreekala, says that the paperwork on integration has been completed, and the government is perhaps waiting for synchronism with the Public Service Commission reports the Hindu.

“One cannot say that nothing is happening at the institution. Many things have happened in the last one year,” she said. Meanwhile, faculty members under the Co-operative Medical College Teachers’ Association are planning to observe black day on December 18.

“Despite giving hope to employees that the institution will soon start functioning as any other State medical college, nothing seems to have changed,” said CMCTA, President Dr. Nazeem C.H.