Amid staff crunch, three associate professors moved out of Institute of Mental Health

 HYDERABAD:  Post-graduate students, faculty and patients at Institute of Mental Health, Erragadda, are staring at an impending crisis as three associate professors from the institute were posted to government hospitals in other districts. Sources said that with this move, conducting academic sessions for 30 PG students has become tough and the remaining faculty have to share additional burden. The 600-bedded institute requires a total of 33 faculty members- 6 professors, 6 associate professors and 21 assistant professors. However, they now have only 10 faculty members — 4 professors, 2 associate professors, 3 assistant professors and one civil assistant surgeon .

Around 30 Post-graduate students pursue academics at Department of Psychiatry, IMH. They have classes five days a week in the afternoons and in the morning, they assist in patient care. Recently, the State Health and Family Welfare department announced promotions for faculty in medical institutions. Of the six assistant professors from IMH, four were promoted as associate professors and they were posted at Government General Hospital, Nizamabad; Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Warangal; Gandhi Hospital, Hyderabad and the fourth one was posted at IMH.

Apart from attending to patients at out-patient and in-patient sections, an associate professor conducts classes for post-graduate students. In a day, the institute’s OP section records 30 to 40 new cases and around 300 review OP cases. Besides this, 450 patients are admitted in in-patient section. Professors divide the workload with the assistance of senior resident doctors and junior doctors (PG students). “Associate professors are taken away from a place where more hands are needed and posted at hospitals where there is no requirement. For instance, a maximum of 15 people opt for out-patient services at the Nizamabad Government General Hospital’s Psychiatry department.

They have one professor, one associate professor, one assistant professor and four senior resident doctors. There is no need for another associate professor,” doctors said. Recruitment was last conducted at the institute in 2009-10. The issue of staff crunch at the institute, however, can get resolved soon as officials said that recruitment of assistant professors and tutors is underway. Telangana’s Director of Medical Education Dr K Ramesh Reddy said that notification for 274 posts is already issued. “The doctors will be posted in hospitals by December. Besides, there will be 205 more posts and financial clearance for it is in final stage. Also, in-service doctors (who served regular government jobs in rural and tribal areas) will be posted in hospitals before the 274 doctors are recruited,” Dr Ramesh Reddy said.