CHENNAI: Soon, over 2,000 Associate Professors in Government Medical Colleges are to be promoted as Professors, a long-pending demand of doctors, by the State Health Department.This is planned to meet the Medical Council of India norms for continuing medical courses in 23 medical colleges in the State. According to an official source, over 7,300 doctors’ posts have been re-designated in the exercise. The State did not conduct promotion counselling to fill up professors’ posts in medical colleges for the last three years due to lack of clarity on professor vacancies and also how many were really eligible for elevation.
The Directorate of Medical Education began the work of re-designating posts three months ago and completed the process this week. “We totally streamlined the posts and completed the work. It has to go to the finance department for approval. Then a government order will be issued,” said A Edwin Joe, Director of Medical Education.
“We have re-designated 7,300 doctor posts, including Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, Professors, Senior Residents and others in 23 medical colleges. Among them, over 2,000 Associate Professors are eligible for Professors’ posts and they will be given promotion,” he said.According to a senior health department official, this also means that doctors have to move to their post whereever it is available. But 85 per cent of the now Associate Professors who are eligible for Professor’s posts, are identified in the same colleges where they are currently working.
“This means, all the Professors posts in 23 government medical colleges will be filled. Before this demarcation, professors were less than the requirement of MCI, Now, we will meet the MCI norms for renewal or approval for medical courses,” the official said.
Recently, government doctors boycotted MCI inspection as Associate Professors were asked to pose as Professors during the head count and demanded the government to fill up Professors vacancies. But after re-designating the posts, officials found that over 2,000 Associate Professors were eligible for Professors posts so there was no need for new recruitment, Joe said.
“A doctor who completes post graduation will work as Senior Resident or Tutor for one year, then will be promoted as Assistant Professor. After four years, they will be promoted as Associate Professors and after four years they will be promoted as Professors. But, these promotions were affected earlier, leaving professors’ posts vacant in many colleges,” a senior official said.