Via a Right to Information (RTI) query filed by a medical student, it is learnt that the Department of Medicine of Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar (BSA) Medical College, Delhi, is facing a staff crunch. The RTI reveals that the department has zero regular or contractual doctors/faculty members.
Dated November 11, 2024, the RTI's response read, "Neither Regular nor Contractual Doctor/faculty working in the Department of Medicine in Dr. BSA Medical College." Speaking to EdexLive, the medical student who filed the RTI query revealed that it was filed on October 29, 2024.
"On November 20, I received the response from the administration," the student shared, on condition of anonymity.
No faculty
A senior resident at the BSA Medical College, on condition of anonymity, revealed that the lack of faculty has been adversely affecting the academics of the MBBS and postgraduate (PG) students for a year. "We, the senior residents, are managing patient care and taking classes for juniors simultaneously," the senior resident said, alleging that there is only one associate professor in the department.
"Additionally, the sole associate professor who has been designated as a professor for the medical college is from the hospital," he further alleges. "The BSA medical college was established in 2016, yet a proper college structure, adequate hostels, and proper teaching faculty are not in place," the resident pointed out, speaking on other issues.
The student further regretted the sorry state of affairs of the medical college which is located in the national capital of the country and said, "The medicine department is vital among other departments, and it is sad that it is left in such a dire state."
Another resident made similar claims: "When I joined the college in 2020, there were seven faculty members in the department. In the past year, the department has been understaffed. Currently, one professor and three CMOs (casual medical officers) comprise the medicine department."
Furthermore, he adds that the CMOs are from other departments and they have been transferred to the medicine department due to a lack of professors.
What is NMC's norm?
According to the National Medical Commission (Undergraduate Medical Education Board) notification dated August 16, 2023, the number of faculty recruitments for MBBS admissions for the General Medicine department is:
For 50 seats:
Professor: 1
Associate Professor: 1
Assistant Professor: 2
Senior Resident: 2
For 100 seats:
Professor: 1
Associate Professor: 3
Assistant Professor: 4
Senior Resident: 4
For 150 seats:
Professor: 1
Associate Professor: 4
Assistant Professor: 5
Senior Resident: 5
For 200 seats:
Professor: 1
Associate Professor: 6
Assistant Professor: 7
Senior Resident: 7
For 250 seats:
Professor: 1
Associate Professor: 7
Assistant Professor: 8
Senior Resident: 8
It is learnt that the BSA Medical College has 125 seats and the department is solely run by one professor.
Multiple attempts were made by EdexLive to contact the college officials and administrative officer Pankaj Singh, but to no avail. The copy will be updated if and when a response is received.
