Gujarat: After transferring faculties to Medical College, State government now worried about their attendance

"Please ensure that all the doctors resume their duties. It is more important to ensure their attendance every day. Now MCI has been superseded, therefore, the inspections team can arrive any day." stated the order

Ahmedabad: Concerned with the low number of medical seats in the state, the Gujarat Health Department has issued a letter to the government and GMERS medical colleges directing them to keep track of medical facultys' duty and attendance regularly, to make sure no irregularity is reported during inspection time by the apex medical regulator.

This directive is strictly pursuant to the ordinance enabling the superseding of Medical Council of India (MCI) by the Indian Medical Council (IMC). As, once this authority comes into force, the doctors will be on the line to get punishments for not resuming their duty after transferring and not reporting attendance regularly.

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According to initial reports, around 252 faculty members including professors, assistant professors and associate professors and tutors, were recently transferred across government and GMERS medical colleges in Vadnagar, Himmatnagar and Junagadh that are due for a surprise inspection from the Medical Council of India. From these 252, around 100 faculty members from BJ Medical College alone, have been transferred.

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Fearing a loss at medical college inspections, TOI reports that the state health department has recently issued an order to the medical colleges stating, "Please ensure that all the doctors resume their duties. It is more important to ensure their attendance every day. Now MCI has been superseded, therefore, the inspections team can arrive any day."

"There was practice amongst the doctors transferred to resume duty and then remain absent at both the places (with mutual understanding of the bosses of the institutes) and attend their private assignments. This is not allowed this time," the letter strictly added, according to a recent TOI's report.

Certain sources alleged to TOI that till date, institution authorities had information about the inspection by the MCI, in advance. However, this will not be the case henceforth, the source stressed.

The daily adds that there are around 3,950 seats in medical colleges across Gujarat as of now.

Government officials are concerned about revoking of approvals of institutes. "Last year, MCI approval for some 200 medical seats across the state had been revoked. Medical colleges across Gujarat can no more afford to lose any more seats, as it will be detrimental to the future of several students who have procured admissions in these colleges," said a top official on condition of anonymity.

The unsaid fact for this letter may be the recent audit report by Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) that was tabled in the state assembly slamming the Gujarat government for its lack of consideration towards medical education as well as the establishment of new medical colleges in the state.

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