Professors against administrative restructure of medical colleges

Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 21

Threatening to hold mass protests, professors at Government Medical College (GMC), Patiala and Amritsar, have once again rejected the government’s move of administrative restructuring of medical colleges in the state.

Ahead of the visit of the Principal Secretary of Medical Education and Research, DK Tiwari, and Adviser of medical education to the government, Dr KK Talwar, the professors have demanded rollback of the restructuring decision.

Demanding decentralisation of the administrative and financial powers to the college heads, professors said the government should allocate budget on a par with PGIMER, Chandigarh.

The Punjab State Medical and Dental Teachers’ Association (PSMDTA) claimed that the move to hand over the administrative control of all government-run medical and dental colleges in the state to an autonomous body was a step towards privatisation of government institutions.

Dr Mridu Gupta, president, PSMDTA, said the said move by the government had already proved a failure in the past. He said they would hold protests against the government if their demands were not met.

“The government can make these changes — on pilot basis — in the upcoming Mohali medical college for some time. If successful, they (government) can implement at the GMC Patiala and Amristar,” suggested Gupta. DS Bhullar, state general secretary of the association, said: “Government’s move to create posts of directors in government medical colleges as overall in-charge of the functioning of these establishments will undermine the authority of the principals.”

A senior official, on the condition of anonymity, said: “Everything is being done for the betterment of government colleges and hospitals. If they have any issue, they should convey it in the meetings.”