New Delhi: Amid a shortage of medical faculty in medical colleges, the National Medical Commission (NMC) plans to fill the vacant positions with retired doctors from the army and railways.
This move by India’s apex medical education regulator comes in the backdrop of Economic Survey highlighting faculty shortages, which are affecting the quality of medical training.
The plan aims to fill at least 700 such positions across government institutions. As per the plan, appointment of these teaching faculty is being planned for post-graduate courses to teach specialized curriculum by the retired doctors from the armed forces, railways, and the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).
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As part of the plan, the NMC has floated a draft Teachers Eligibility Qualifications (TEQ) in the Medical Institutions Regulations, 2024, for consideration by stakeholders.
“TEQ will benefit at least 600-700 seats across government institutions. This will improve patient care and recruit meritorious faculty. However, the TEQ proposal is with the health ministry for further deliberations and is delayed,” an official said adding that the delay is also affecting the potential increase of PG seats in the country.
“Specialist medical officer of the Armed Forces having minimum 8 years teaching experience after obtaining the requisite recognized Postgraduate qualification in the subject, of which at last three years as Associate Professor in a teaching hospital of the Armed Forces, with two Research publications under the relevant provisions can be considered eligible for appointment as Professor in the concerned subject,” said the official.
Similar, provisions are being made in the case of retired doctors from railways and ESIC, the official added.
On 1 April, there were 74,306 postgraduate seats and 118,190 MBBS seats in the country as per NMC.
This indicates a significant shortage of specialists in cardiology, neurology, oncology and surgery.
Till July last year, NMC has documented around 1.38 million medical practitioners with an MBBS degree, which translates to one MBBS degree holder per 1,263 people.
Delay in process
“Until the TEQ is not passed by the government, faculty recruitment cannot happen and it is delaying the process,” a second official said.
The official said that the recruitment of faculty members is a mammoth process as government has to provide designations like professor, assistant professor and associate professor. “Without the designations, these faculty cannot work in the medical colleges.”
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This year’s union budget highlighted the expansion of medical education as it announced 10,000 additional seats to be added in medical colleges and hospitals, taking the total number of seats to 75,000 in the next 5 years. The plan is to increase the number of PG seats in the country.
Queries sent to the health ministry spokesperson remained unanswered till press time.
