Staff Reporter :
Maharashtra Government is facing scarcity of expert and experienced medical teachers in its medical colleges. To overcome the problem, the Medical Education and Drugs Department has decided to make appointments of Professors and Associate Professors on contractual basis. The appointments will be limited to post of Professor and Associate Professor. Government may think of appointing retired persons or anybody of any age fulfillilng the criterion fixed by National Medical Commission. The department has empowered Medical Education Commissioner to make those appointment. The appointments will be made as per the proposal prepared by respective deans of Government Medical Colleges. The Dean will have to prepare a proposal considering the present position of vacant posts and vacancy to be faced in coming days. In recent past, State has created some new medical colleges.
To add to the number, every district is likely to have at least one medical college. It will need manpower. Government feels making appointments to higher posts on contractual basis will help GMCs to a large extent. The guidelines prepared for these appointments are very strict. Those appointed on contract basis will remain on post for 364 days or till the appointment of regular one. Any loophole found in the act of the teachers would amount to the end of his contract. The person has to render services fixed by Dean including teaching, patient service etc. The contractual teacher can go for private practice after finishing his duties at GMC. He or she will not have any administrative or financial power. The department head concern would keep doing valuation of the candidate after every three months. The feedback of patients to evaluate the services of the candidate would be sought. The teachers with good record can be given extension provided he or she should not complete 70 years of age.
Honorarium structure The honourarium will be paid to these contractual teachers on the basis of the status of Government Medical College in which they get posting. A professor can fetch salary worth Rs 2 lakh if appointed in GMCs at Chandrapur, Gondia, Baramati, Nandurbar, Dhule, Yavatmal, Ambejogai, Alibag, Satara, Sindhudurg, Osmanabad. Those who appointed in remaining GMCs will get honourarium to the tune of Rs 1,85,000. Those working in Super Speciality will receive Rs 2,30,000. Similarly, Associate Professor in above categories will respectively receive honourarium of Rs 1,85,000, Rs 1,70,000 and Rs 2.10 lakh.
What about DSB?
Surprisingly, Medical Education Department has not uttered a single word about the teachers they have appointed through Divisional Selection Board (DSB). These teachers too are working on contract basis. They made outstanding contribution during COVID-19 pandemic. On several occasions in absence of senior doctors, the DSB lecturers rendered services. Their issue of regularisation was totally ignored.