Telangana medical colleges face faculty crunch

HYDERABAD: Medical colleges in Telangana are facing a severe staff crunch and some institutions are toiling to retain the Medical Council of India (MCI) recognition. As many as 10 medical colleges in and around the city are functioning sans principals and nearly 60 per cent of the colleges do not have full-time faculty.

An increase in the number of private and government medical colleges in the State coupled with no fresh recruitment in the last decade has led to severe teaching staff crunch in medical colleges, both government and private.

It may be recalled that last year the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) had issued a notification for recruitment of 274 assistant professors in different departments of government medical colleges, while, according to experts, the there are more than 400 vacancies. However, more than a year later no recruitment has taken place.

The Healthcare Reforms Doctors Association had last week even submitted a representation to the Department of Health Medical and Family Welfare (HM& FW) seeking intervention in the recruitment process of DME teaching staff.

Students to the rescue!

Due to the paucity of qualified and experienced professors medical colleges, both government and private, are depending on senior residents and PG students to take classes for the UG students. The Nizamabad Medical Colleges, for instance, has only one professor. It has 201 sanctioned staff, but currently has only 89 teaching in the college.