Are state-run medical colleges in Uttar Pradesh understaffed? The 13 state-run medical colleges in Uttar Pradesh are running with a 30% vacancy, including those of professor, associate professor and assistant professor, reported IANS.
According to the state's Medical Education Department, as many as 936 regular faculty and 553 contractual staff make up for the total strength of 1,489, which means there are 640 vacancies (30%). Among these, a maximum (117) posts are vacant at Gorakhpur's medical college against the total 257 positions sanctioned for various departments.
Alok Kumar, Principal Secretary of the Medical Education Department told IANS, "Filling up faculty positions is a continuous process. Many times, contractual staff leaves after giving notice, and often they shift from one college to another. If a faculty working in Banda gets a position in his hometown in Badaun, the position in Banda will become vacant though the teacher is still on government rolls."
He stressed that the fresh appointment of medical teachers is a "continuous process", where both regular and contractual staff are being appointed. "We have increased the number of undergraduate and PG medical seats. The impact of the initiative will be seen in the next few years with more colleges in the state having the required strength of faculty against the sanctioned positions," he added, according to IANS.
Vacancies in the faculty of medical colleges in India, however, seems like a nationwide issue. Government data shows that only 50% of the faculty positions are filled up in all 19 functioning All India Institute of Medical Sciences. Dr PK Gupta, former President of the Indian Medical Association, Lucknow, told IANS, "Faculty is the most significant part of a medical college and the lack of it causes problems for students."
