Srinagar, Mar 1 (KNS): Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) Tuesday called for restructuring of medical education cadre into three-tier system in conformity with the prescribed norms by Medical Council of India (MCI).
Urging state government to replace existing four-tier with three-tier promotion system, President DAK Dr Nisar ul Hassan in a statement issued to KNS said that it would end stagnation in career advancement and would address the issue of depleted faculty positions at higher posts.
“While MCI has made it mandatory for all medical colleges and institutions to have uniform three-tier system for teaching faculty, but JK state has failed to implement it,” he said.
He said that the state government cannot lay down standards of medical education and frame rules which are in conflict with MCI guidelines.
“The new system allows only three cadres for teaching posts, that is, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor and professor, but state medical colleges/institutes continue to follow traditional four-tier system,” DAK president said.
Hassan said that under the prevailing system it takes at least 12 years to become a professor, but now this duration as per new norms has come down to just 5 years.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
He said, “Non-implementation of MCI rules has not only affected the teaching in medical colleges/institutes, but it has also jeopardized patient care.”
Hassan said that there are some departments without professors and associate professors and some do not have faculty at all.
He said that many departments have higher faculty positions either on OPG basis or on academic arrangement.
“The prestigious health institutions which were built to promote and deliver quality health care and impart medical education might lose some of the undergraduate seats and postgraduate courses in near future due to deficient faculty,” he said.
DAK president said that in absence of adequate professors, these institutes were not able to start postgraduate courses in number of disciplines.
“If the existing system is not changed and the new one is not adapted immediately, it would entail de-recognition of many courses, which could collapse the entire health sector of the state,” he said. (KNS)