HYDERABAD: The state government’s failure in filling vacant teachers’ posts and providing infrastructure in government colleges as required by the Medical Council of India (MCI) may result in denial of 671 post graduate medical seats for the academic year of 2012-13. According to sources in the department of medical education (DME), the department had bargained with the MCI and secured time till the end of this month when they could not put in place the required faculty and infrastructure by Jan 10, which was the original deadline fixed by the MCI. And according to indications, the department is not in a position to meet this deadline either.At present nine government medical colleges in the state have 1,113 PG seats.
The state government had sought and secured an additional 671 seats from the Centre, which had also released `184 crore grant for additional infrastructure and faculty.
But the department remained hamstrung with the state government not releasing its share of 25 per cent of the grant, allegedly due to the stretched financial position of the state.
In the nine government medical colleges in the state, there are 571 teacher posts lying vacant, including 129 professors, 118 assistant professors and 324 associate professors.
Apart from this , they also have to recruit tutors , senior residents and junior residents.
Sources in the DME said that faculty members working in many medical colleges have slapped cases against one another claiming the right of promotion over their colleagues.
This has made it difficult for the DME to give promotions and fill up empty posts as mandated by MCI.
With some of these colleges facing shortage of faculty to deal with even the existing seats, the MCI may cut the present seats, leave alone grant new ones.
With the MCI team visit scheduled in February, the DME is working hard to meet the guidelines, the director of medical education (academic) K Vishnuprasad told Express.
But looking at the huge task at hand, this seems easier said than done.