Not rotational headship, PGI set to have collegium system

Chandigarh, July 28

The adoption of the collegium system at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, will lead to several changes in the way the region’s leading health facility operates.

On July 18, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had issued an order to introduce the collegium system in all departments of the PGIMER.The decision to implement the collegium system was taken by the committee constituted for the implementation of rotational headship for institutions such as the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and the PGIMER.

Composition of collegium

• Departments with more than 10 faculty members: Four faculty members as per seniority; one to two faculty members as per the directive of the Director or Dean (Academic)
• Departments with 6-10 faculty members: Three faculty members as per seniority; one faculty member as per the directive of the Director or Dean (Academic)
• Departments with less than five faculty members: Two faculty members as per seniority; one faculty member as per the directive of the Director or Dean (Academic)

The role of the collegium encompasses various crucial aspects of the functioning of the department, including the development of a long-term strategic plan for growth, creation of an annual work plan that covers teaching, research, patient care services, allocation of funds, purchase of equipment, and preparation of the annual report. It will also play a pivotal role in academic services, clinical, lab or OT services, faculty and resident recruitment, handling exams and selection of external examiners, and addressing stress-related issues facing young faculty members and residents.

Besides, the collegium will ensure that any kind of internal communication from a department to the head of another department is shared with the collegium. Any external communication sent to the head of a department will also be shared with the collegium. Any correspondence pertaining to academic and clinical functioning must be routed through the collegium.

The collegium will hold at least two meetings in a month with a formal agenda, and two-thirds of the members must be present to complete the quorum. Emergency meetings can be held if necessary, with the agreement of two-thirds of the members. The minutes of the discussions will be recorded, signed by the members, and shared with the Dean (Academic).

Notably, in departments with super-speciality programmes, among others, the academic and clinical duties of the super-speciality units will continue to be managed by their respective faculty members. The collegium system will only apply to standalone super-speciality departments.