Patiala dental college runs on just 36% staff

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, September 10

The Government Dental College and Hospital here is reeling under acute staff shortage. Against the requirement of at least 36 teachers, as per the Dental Council of India, the college is making do with just 13 professors, including a reemployed professor.

The college, owing to the “casual attitude” of the people at the helm, has been reportedly short of staff for over a decade now. The last faculty recruitment was done in 2008. It has been learnt that the Dental Council of India had regularly inspected the college and told the authorities to recruit faculty.

New building

• A new building worth crores has been constructed on the college premises wherein one entire floor has been dedicated to the oral surgery department, but the college has no oral surgeon
• A professor says: “Though crores have been spent on constructing a new building, no serious efforts are being made to hire faculty.”
• Dr Renu Bala Sroa says: “The new building has an auditorium and an examination hall. New labs and rooms will help us improve the college functioning.”

Ironically, a new building worth crores has been constructed on the college premises wherein one entire floor has been dedicated to the oral surgery department, but the college has no oral surgeon.

Consequently, majority of the patients at the hospital are being looked after either by interns or post-graduation students. A professor said: “A medical college, just a few metres away from here, recruits faculty every year. Though crores have been spent on constructing a new building, no serious efforts are being made to hire faculty.”

Dr Renu Bala Sroa said: “Despite shortage, students are being taught. The hospital is also being managed by the staff available. The process to recruit new faculty is on.” She said the government, in March this year, had created new posts by framing new rules, but those yet to be approved by the Cabinet. “As per new rules, the number of posts has been increased to 56. Once those get the Cabinet nod, the faculty will immediately be hired.”