THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With many of the medical colleges resorting to ghost faculty (who actually do not exist and remain on paper only) at the time of annual inspections, the Medical Council of India (MCI) has given instructions to all Medical Colleges to provide details of the entire faculty within two days. However, many of the Medical Colleges in the state, especially the government colleges, have expressed their inability to provide the details as transfers and retirements are taking place.
The MCI has given the direction as per the recommendations of the supervisory committee. The colleges should have to submit details of each faculty, failing which the colleges are likely to face strict action. The move comes in the wake of many of the colleges, especially the private colleges, appointing temporary teaching staff during the time of inspections and later removing them. The complete profile has to be signed by the head of the department and principal before submission.
As far as the government colleges are concerned, retirements have taken place, postings and transfers are going on this month. It could take at least a month for having clarity on the faculty, the sources said. Many medical colleges have requested the DME and the Health Secretary to demand more time from the MCI for submitting the details.
As far as the new direction is concerned, the medical fraternity has welcomed it, stating that the whole system could be streamlined. Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association president Dr C P Vijayan said it was really a welcome direction from the MCI. However, he said there was no need for buying more time to file the details. “In case of transfers or new appointments, it could be mentioned in the document that is filed and later could be revised. So, there is no need for more time and all the medical colleges should file it soon,” he said.
The new directions could pose an issue in the future to both the government as well as private colleges who always dupe the MCI during inspections. For the last many years, the government usually redeployed the faculty from one college to the other and even en masse transferred doctors temporarily to the new colleges. This is also the same with the private medical colleges. The DME was not available for comment.