Gujarat: BJ Medical College faculty transferred to other colleges for MCI compliance of norms

Ahmedabad: Transfers of medical teachers have been a constant malaise of medical colleges in this country. So grave has the situation become that the Medical Council of India (MCI), has even installed biometric attendance system to ensure that the faculty they meet during inspection continues to be in the concerned colleges, after they leave, granting them there much asked for recognition permissions for admissions every year. However, the manipulations committed by medical institutions in an attempt to gain MCI approval has yet to end. Medical Colleges continue to transfer faculty to assist other colleges during MCI inspections. One such recent example being that of Ahmedabad Civil Hospital and its affiliated educational institute, the BJ Medical College, which has been left high and dry, with a significant no of teaching faculty transferred before the expected Council inspection in the state.

A government notification, dated September 29, 2017, reveals 81 teachers of BJ medical colleges to have been transferred to other medical colleges.These include associate professors assistant professors, and professors

Ahemadabad Mirror reports that a total of 154 teachers have been transferred in the state and the 81 moved from BJ Medical College, have left just half of the total faculty strength in critical departments behind. These critical departments are Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Surgery, and Medicine. The senior officials of the college don’t seem very perturbed at this development as they are confident that most of the staff transferred will return to the hospital on deputation, once the inspectors are gone having conducted the inspection.

37 transfers have been enforced in Junagarh followed by 31- in Jamnagar, 27 at Surat; 22 and 18 at Himmatnagar and Vadnagar respectively.

Sources state that transfers in this zone have been enforced, as the numbers may be falling short of MCI compliance. Pending MCI inspection of the colleges at Junagadh and Himmatnagar will be completed this year.

It is believed that the new Vadnagar Medical College, in Prime Minister, Narendra Modi hometown, which is all set to be inaugurated by him on October 8, also has a Council inspection pending.

President, Gujarat Medical Teachers Association (GMTA), Dr Rajnish Patel, confirmed, “GPSC exams have not been held for more than 5 years and that is required to appoint medical teachers. That is why this transfer may have been effected.”

On being asked about the condition of patients and students when the departments are run on skeleton staff, Dr M M Prabhakar, Medical Superintendent, Civil Hospital, Asarwa told Ahmedabad Mirror, “We will ensure that the transfers do not affect the patients and students by providing deputations to teachers from other colleges.”

The fact remains that despite the BJ Medical College administration not showing much anxiety about the college having transferred a majority of its staff to other colleges for MCI compliance, reports state that the HOD’s are worried about staff having been halved in most critical departments. ObGyn, Surgery, and Medicine now have 26 of the sanctioned strength left out of the total of 70.

Following is the skeletal strength on which the critical departments at BJ College happens to be functioning:

• Surgery Department-4 out of 20 assistant professors, 2 of 7 associate professors and 2 of 3 professors have been transferred; leaving behind 9 out of 30 doctors

• ObGyn Department-6 out of 12 assistant professors, 3 of 4associate professors and 2 of 3 professors have been transferred; leaving behind 8 out of 19 doctors.


• Medicine Department- 9 out of 11 assistant professors, 2 of 7 associate professors and 1of 3 professors have been transferred; leaving behind 9 out of 21doctors.