ROURKELA: The State Government run Utkalmani Homoeopathy Medical College and Hospital (UHMCH) is likely to be barred by the Central Council of Homoeopathy (CCH) from enrolling students for 2015-16 academic session due to shortage of faculty.
Set up in 1975 and taken over by the Government in 1994, the medical college and hospital has 12 departments, 25 seats in Bachelor of Homoeopathy Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) and 25 beds.
Though the college has good infrastructure, large number of vacancies in faculty posts have been its major problem.
Against the sanctioned strength of six Professors, 15 Readers and Lecturers, the UHMCH has only three Readers and five Lecturers besides an HMO of Keonjhar who is on deputation. The college has also roped in 14 guest lecturers at `350 per class. But the CCH criteria makes it mandatory for the UHMCH to have 80 per cent regular faculty.
The departments of gynaecology and obstetric, pharmacy, surgery and organon medicines have no specialist since long, while the rest eight departments have one Reader or lecturer each, said a Head of Department on condition of anonymity.
With the CCH team likely to inspect the medical college and hospital shortly, it may end up being barred from enrolling students for next academic session for inadequate staff strength.
In December 2013, the Directorate of AYUSH under the Health and Family Welfare Department appointed 13 Homeopathy Medical Officers (HMOs) on temporary basis ahead of the team’s visit. The HMOs were withdrawn from duty after three months.
Even protests by students in the past demanding appointment of faculty against the vacancies have failed to attract Government attention.
A final year student Dharmaraj Singh said though indoor department is equipped with treatment facilities, the equipment are lying defunct in the absence of para-medical staff including nurses, laboratory technician and ANMs. With the indoor department going out of operation, funds meant for food for patients have been stopped.