Students at YCMH troubled as doctors in faculty quit jobs

Some 6-7 professors, associate professors and HoDs at the twin towns hospital’s postgraduate institute have already left, while 4-5 more have just resigned over lack of permanent job status; at least 60 students of various courses say the academic facility is on the verge of collapse now

Even as medical facilities across the city battle the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, a well-known member of their fraternity has seemingly fallen on troubling times. It has emerged that the postgraduate institute attached to the Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH) run by Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) may be on the verge of collapse, after doctors appointed as professors, associate professors and heads of departments (HoDs) have started quitting en masse.

Several postgraduate medical students have asserted that with many of their instructors resigning, their course work has been affected. Others have pointed to the existing rift between these doctors and elected members of the civic body, due to which the appointments of the doctors on a permanent basis were stalled — leading them to just leave the job instead.

Meanwhile, the students have asserted that the situation is taking a toll on their education, adding that if this continues, the institute is bound to shut down.

The institute had received permission to start various postgraduate courses in February 2019. By June last year, nine courses had begun here, including MSgeneral surgery, MD-anaesthesiology, MD-general medicine, MS-obstetrics and gynaecology, MD-paediatrics and more. At present, there are some 60 students who have been pursuing their education in these courses since mid-2019.

Institute officials shared that in recent months, at least six or seven doctors left to join other facilities and hospitals for permanent jobs. Further, four-five more doctors, including HoDs, have resigned and are awaiting approval for the same.


It was just last year before the courses took off that PCMC had issued an advertisement to appoint 104 doctors to the institute. Of this, 74 applicants were selected and the remaining 30 put on hold, as those departments are yet to start. As many as 54 of them joined the institute on a temporary basis, after being assured that they would soon be given permanent status here; the rest are yet to join. But, in April this year, 20 of the appointed doctors at the PG institute, including two HoDs, were disqualified on the basis of merit by officials, leaving a faculty of 34. Now, that is chipping away steadily, too.

The decision to appoint the doctors permanently at the institute has to be taken jointly by corporators in PCMC general body meeting. However, politicos across parties don’t seem to be keen on the same, claiming they have not had a good experience with these doctors. Last week as well, when the issue came up in the general body, the discussion was stalled. It is scheduled to be discussed once again in the meeting on August 26.

Meanwhile, the state of affairs has left student doctors in a tumult. For instance, Dr Ajit Mane, who is pursuing an anaesthesia course here, emphasised that the focus has totally shifted away from them and onto the very survival of the institute, leaving the scholars unmoored. “We came here to study by reposing our trust in PCMC and our professors and HoDs. But now, the institute has been neglected and we face academic losses. We took admission here as per rules of the Medical Council of India (MCI). But now, the experts are leaving us. Getting permission for these courses took effort, and we hope it can go on. Ego issues need to be left behind and the professors should be appointed as permanent candidates. They are losing trust in the place due to lack of assurance on their job security. Then how will they stay back and give their best?” he said.

On the same lines, psychiatry student Dr Kalyani Raidurg said, “This is definitely affecting our education. Maintaining consistency in teachers is needed. Before taking admission here, students asked about faculty and HoDs, based on which they made their decision. When this changes, everything does.”

She also explained that the most important part of their course is writing the thesis given by their guide. “At the start of the course, we have a guide assigned to us. If that alters, it sparks huge chaos. Managing the thesis this way becomes highly difficult,” she rued.

Dr Pankaj Varpe, another resident doctor, said that the lack of surety about their job status leaves the doctors demoralised. “They are not sure about their future. Now, if new teachers replace them in the middle of the term, it takes time for students to get attuned to them. Ultimately, the students will suffer. PCMC should just appoint the existing doctors to permanent status,” he said.

Insisting that they are in a helpless situation, Dr Rajendra Wabale, dean of the YCMH PG Institute, confirmed that around seven doctors have left to join other places and some five more have resigned, but he has not yet accepted their resignation due to the ongoing pandemic. While not commenting on the permanent status issue, he said, “We are feeling very bad. If this continues, the institute will collapse with instability. We have 60 students with professors and associate professors (one teacher handling three or four pupils) appointed as their guides, but the latter have started leaving. Permission for the courses was given to the institute by MCI and other governing bodies as we had faculty — but the same people are walking away. Due to these developments being spread around, we are also hardly getting any fresh applications for vacant posts of teaching doctors.”