MP: Medical Teachers threaten resignation, if autonomy is replaced by state authority in medical colleges

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Medical Teacher Association (MPMTA) members have threatened to resign, if the autonomous bodies that govern government medical and dental colleges are replaced by state authorities, through the proposed new bill .

Approximately 500 doctors, residents, paramedical staff and students gathered at Gandhi Medical College (GMC) campus to stage a protest on Wednesday against the proposed bill.

"The bill would sabotage the independent nature of existing colleges. It would be replaced by a bureaucratic setup. We oppose the proposed bill," said MPMTA President (GMC) Dr Sanjeev Gaur, leading the protest.

"We want to make it clear that if the proposed bill is enacted all doctors would resign in protest," said MPMTA (GMC) Executive Member, Dr Reeni Malik.

The proposed Bill that carries the Department of Finance’s approval is not to be tabled for cabinet clearance. The transfer from autonomy to state authority comes when new Government Medical Colleges are in the offing; and medical colleges like the GMC are in the process of expansion, with seat strengths increasing from 150 to 250. Along with the largest tertiary care being set up in Bhopal, another 60 seats have been added at the medical colleges.

Presently individual autonomous bodies govern 7 government medical colleges, making most jobs non-transferable and non-pensionable. MPMTA alleges that with the coming in of the new authority a new human resource policy calling for transferring of staff and doctors might be implemented.

"Most of the staff members are contracted by autonomous body norms, wherein inter-college transfer is not agreed upon," said MPMTA GMC Vice-President, Dr Vijay Verma.

MPMTA claims to have already earned the support of all government medical and dental colleges, reports TOI.