KOTTAYAM: A new amendment by the National Medical Commission (NMC) making senior residency mandatory for assistant professor jobs has put medicos in Kerala in a fix.
The Minimum Qualifications for Teachers in Medical Institutions (Amendment) Regulations 2019 stipulates one-year senior residency, a bonded obligation, in recognised medical colleges (MCs) mandatory to apply for the entry cadre post of assistant professors in MCs. As a result, a large number of doctors are being denied the opportunity to apply owing to the huge disparity between the number of PG medicos and senior resident vacancies in MCs.
The NMC had in February 2020 issued a gazette notification amending the basic qualification required for teachers in medical institutions. Besides the three-year junior residency, one-year senior residency (bonded obligation) in the subject concerned from a recognised or permitted MC was added to the basic qualification. A total of 882 medicos complete junior residency from government medical colleges in the state every year. However, there are only around 523 senior resident posts available in the state.
The issue is far graver for doctors in the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) who join PG courses through service quota. After completing the course, they are directed to return to work without joining senior residency.
With the government inviting applications for the posts of assistant professors to various departments in the last week, medicos who failed to get the opportunity for senior residency are running from pillar to post seeking relaxation in guidelines.
In September, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) had set aside a rank list of assistant professors published by the Kerala Public Service Commission, saying it didn’t include one-year senior residency in the minimum qualification. Against this backdrop, medicos have sought urgent government intervention to exert pressure on NMC to relax the norm.
“The state government should apprise the NMC of the peculiar situation in Kerala. Besides seeking special permission to relax the rules this time, the government should also ensure all the medicos can pursue senior residency,” said a doctor working under the directorate of medical education on the condition of anonymity.
The medicos also demand long-term steps, including a proper system for senior residency and more seats. “The government is reluctant to increase senior residency seats citing financial burden. However, this can be addressed if it allows senior residency in peripheral hospitals. This will also address the shortage of doctors in the hospitals without placing any additional financial burden on the government,” opined Dr Irfan Hassan Rawther, former office-bearer of Kerala Medical PG Association (KMPGA).
Special order suggested
Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) has suggested issuing a special order to appoint all the doctors who pass the PSC qualifying exam as assistant professors and consider them as senior residents for the first year exclusively in their tutorial roles without affecting salary, seniority and service benefits