Ludhiana, April 13
The Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA) has expressed concern over the ‘prevailing crisis’ in the government medical colleges in Punjab, ‘which has created a situation in which the seats for MBBS and PG medical courses might have to be reduced drastically’.

It has called for the implementation of assured career progression of four, nine and 14 years for the medical and dental teacher cadres to overcome the crisis of shortage of medical teachers in these colleges.

Dr Hardeep Singh, state president, and Dr Balwinder Kumar, district secretary of the PCMSA, have demanded a high-level inquiry into the ‘rnismangement’, which has resulted in the shortage of medical teachers, thereby posing the threat of de-recognition of premier medical institutions of the state.

They said even though there was no dearth of specialist doctors in Punjab and the PCMS, the regular selection process of medical and dental teachers was mismanaged rather deliberately and deserving doctors were denied these posts. Under this 'well-planned conspiracy', the queue of promotions was totally disturbed and an artificial shortage of qualified and eligible candidates was created.

The PCMSA functionaries maintained that the decision of enhancing the retirement age of medical teachers from 58 to 60 was not a solution to this crisis but another conspiracy to cover up the broader mismanagement and bungling only for two more years.

"Inefficiency on part of bureaucrats and arbitrary arrangements have led to the deterioration of medical education in Punjab."

Dr Hardeep Singh said the government ought to chalk out an effective strategy and evolve a permanent solution to end the crisis of shortage of medical and dental teachers in the government colleges so as to save them from the threat of de-recognition forever.

To achieve this objective, assured career progression of four, nine and 14 years for the medical and dental teacher cadres with effect from 1996 seemed to be the only way out. The posts of senior lecturers, which was the feeding post for teaching cadre, should be filled by simple transfers of doctors from the PCMS cadre. This would automatically ensure regular continuous filling of vacant posts of every rank at all times without causing any additional financial liability to the government, the PCMSA activists added.