Amid staff shortage, Directorate of Medical Education losing direction

Neena Sharma

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, January 28

Grappling with acute manpower shortage, the Directorate of Medical Education has its task cut out. It has the responsibility of fulfilling the state government’s announcements of getting going five new medical colleges including the Doon Medical College in 2015.

After creation of a separate Directorate of Medical Education in 2013, only one appointment (on deputation) of the director has been made. The post of Additional Director occupied by Dr NS Jangpangi has been carried over from the days when medical education was part of the Directorate of Medical, Health and Family Welfare.

The Directorate of Medical Education is finding it tough to meet its deadline to get on with the academic session for the Doon Medical College from July 2015. The work on the project at Almora too is slow. Meanwhile, the government has gone ahead and announced creation of three medical colleges in Pithoragarh, Bhagwanpur (Haridwar) and Rudrapur. This has taken the total number of new government medical colleges in the state to five.

All this while, service rules were framed, but framing of a structure for medical education has been delayed. This has in turn delayed appointment of two Additional Directors, two Joint Directors and two Additional Directors through the State Public Service Commission and subordinate staff through the Subordinate Staff Selection Commission.

“The structure has to be approved by the Cabinet, after which, we would be able to put in a requisition before the State Public Service Commission for six senior-level officials and 28-plus subordinate staff appointments,” said Dr RP Bhatt, Director Medical Education.

Significantly, soon after the Directorate of Medical Education was created, the government had agreed to allow medical officers from the Department of Health to join the Directorate on deputation.

Barring the appointment of Dr RP Bhatt, who is on deputation to the Directorate of Medical Education from the Department of Health, none of the doctors evinced interest. “Recently, Dr VK Nautiyal, CMO at St Mary’s Hospital, Mussoorie, sought permission for deputation to the Medical Education Directorate. His case is being considered,” said Dr GS Joshi, DG, Directorate, Medical Health and Family Welfare.

The Directorate’s efforts to get Doon Medical College going have apparently come to a naught, pace of work by the construction agency being slow.