PUDUCHERRY: The shortage of faculty, resident doctors and other staff, and lack of infrastructure at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Research Institute (IGMCRI) are causing concerns ahead of the National Medical Commission (NMC)’s upcoming inspection.
The number of MBBS seats in the institute was increased from 150 to 180, including 30 under the economically weaker section in 2019, which necessitates NMC’s approval. However, IGMCRI grapples with 85 vacant teaching and resident doctor posts alongside deficiencies in infrastructure, which potentially impede the coveted NMC recognition.
V Balasubramanian, president of Puducherry Parents and Students Welfare Association said, “Failure to appoint faculty members detrimentally impacts students and downgrades the reputation of the Puducherry government. We urge the government to fill up the posts immediately before the NMC inspection.”
Amidst mounting worries, there’s a looming unease among prospective students and parents following last year’s derecognition by the Undergraduate Medical Education Board of the NMC. The prior derecognition cited deficiencies in faculty attendance monitoring and a malfunction in the Hospital Information Management System (HIMS). Although these were rectified and the institution subsequently got recognition, parents fear its recurrence for the additional 30 seats.
“We submitted a proposal to the government in November to fill the vacancies and improve infrastructure and are awaiting a response,” Dr C Udhayshankar told TNIE. Financial constraints emerge as a significant hurdle in IGMCRI’s quest for compliance. The file is pending with the finance department and the financial implication is around 25 to 30 crore, which is the hurdle, sources said.
“Presently, the institute receives an annual grant of Rs 72 crore, insufficient to address the deficiencies. Scaling up to S100-110 crores is imperative,” added Dr Udhayshankar. With the NMC inspection looming, the imperative lies in swift action by the government to approve necessary budgetary enhancements and expedite the filling of crucial positions.