Requisition for 650 medical posts sent to GPSC

AHMEDABAD: This is likely to come as music to the ears of medicos at government-run hospitals and medical colleges.
The state health department has decided to fill a record 650 posts, ranging from tutors to professors, through the Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC). A requisition for this was sent to the GPSC, said top officials.

Moreover, the health department has also hinted at completing the departmental promotion committee (DPCs) procedures, to promote cadres ‘at the earliest’, with the Covid-19 scenario and need for stronger medical infrastructure in mind.
Jayanti Ravi, principal secretary (health and family welfare), confirmed that the department had sent an unprecedented requisition to the GPSC, for the direct selection for 650 posts of tutors, assistant professors, associate professors and professors.
“The move will boost the morale of medical teams across Gujarat, who are frontline Covid-19 warriors. The DPC process was initiated back in 2014 but had been stalled. The majority of associate professors or professors today have been on ad-hoc basis for nearly a decade now,” said a senior medical official, adding that even in 2014, there were 700 candidates for 400 posts.
Jai Prakash Shivahare, state health commissioner, said that the department has already sent the indent to the GPSC for these vacant posts. In the meantime, DPC procedures are also being conducted to promote eligible candidates.
“As the GPSC recruitment process has begun and promotions are also under way, the government has come up with a policy to fill these posts through 11-month contracts for now. We are hopeful that the GPSC process will be completed much before the 11-month contract period is over,” Shivahare said. “Many of those who fulfil the criteria will get a chance for regular appointment through the GPSC,” he added.
There are numerous vacancies at government hospitals in various districts due to the fact that during each inspection by the Medical Council of India (MCI), the health department issues orders for mass transfers, subsequent to which faculty members and doctors are shunted from places like Ahmedabad and Vadodara to government colleges and hospitals in other districts to show the proper numbers at the hospital concerned. Even the Comptroller General of India (CAG) took note of this.
With the Covid-19 situation, the health department pooled human resources from districts with fewer positive cases, due to the vacancies at major hospitals. A senior doctor at Civil Hospital told TOI that critical branches in the current scenario such as medicine, pulmonology and critical care have 40%-50% vacancies at senior levels.