Medical colleges in the state are reeling under a faculty crunch.
According to figures from the Department of Medical Education, out of 2,881 posts sanctioned by the Medical Council of India (MCI) in 10 government medical colleges, 798 or nearly 28 percent are vacant.
While older colleges like Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Mysore Medical College, Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences, Hubli and Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Sciences, Bellary are relatively well placed, the situation in newer colleges is pathetic.
Medical colleges in Hassan, Shimoga, Mandya, Bidar, Belgaum and Raichur face a faculty shortage of up to 70 percent in several crucial pre- and paraclinical departments.
Dr Chikkananjappa, president, Karnataka Medical Council, said, “Karnataka has become a manufacturing unit of doctors with the lack of faculty. One lakh doctors are registered with the KMC, of whom around 60,000 are working doctors, while the rest are either studying or working abroad.”
Dr Thipperudraiah, Director, Raichur Institute of Medical Sciences, pointed out, “While some departments have full sanctioned faculty strength, others do not have even a single professor.
“There have been no interviews conducted for faculty recruitment. The proposal to recruit faculty is still pending with the Finance Department.”
A professor from Bidar Institute of Medical Sciences, on condition of anonymity said, “There is an acute shortage of faculty. Despite interviews conducted last year, there has been no recruitment so far. The infrastructure too has not been upgraded.”
Dr B M Hegde, former vice-chancellor, Manipal University, said, “In medical education, teaching comes from methodology and not books.
“The lack of teaching material and guidance from faculty will definitely affect the learning process.”
However, Medical Education Minister S A Ramadas maintained that there was no shortage of teaching staff in government colleges.
“There are many doctors in the health department who are willing to work as teaching staff. Walk-in interviews have been conducted in 3-4 colleges and the recruitment process is on.
“The government medical college in Belgaum had some issues in the recruitment process, but that has been solved,” he said.