The post of dean has been lying vacant in at least 10 to 13 government medical colleges.
Inquiries with government doctors and officials of the Health Department revealed that the government medical colleges in Chengalpattu, Karur, Vellore, Madurai, Kallakurichi, Tiruchi, Salem, Virudhunagar, Ramanathapuram, Pudukkottai, Kanniyakumari, and Theni, and the Kilpauk Medical College in Chennai were functioning without regular deans. In the meantime, senior professors hold the post with full additional charge (FAC).
The institutions are functioning without regular deans for a minimum of one month to a maximum of nearly four months. For instance, doctors pointed out that in the Madurai Medical College, the dean retired on April 30; in Salem, in June; and in Karur, in March.
A senior doctor said the posts were vacant in colleges from Chennai to Kanniyakumari. A panel for the post of deans is formed, and three candidates are nominated for a post and their names are sent to the government for approval. A number of senior doctors called for expediting the process.
S. Mahalingam of the Tamil Nadu Medical Officers Association said the delay in posting regular deans impacted the administrative work at these institutions and delayed the promotion of senior doctors.
“Every year, all promotions, starting from directors and deans to professors, associate and assistant professors on the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) side, and joint director, chief civil surgeons, senior civil surgeons on the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services (DMS) and the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine side begin by preparing panels, keeping March 15 as the cut-off. The preparation of the panels should start on time, but it’s not happening at all. That is why promotions to the top posts are getting delayed,” said A. Ramalingam, general secretary, Service Doctors and Postgraduates Association.
He further said that Tamil Nadu’s health system was in flux, and the movement from assistant surgeons from Primary Health Centres to specialists in DMS and DME was hampered due to delayed promotions. “This cascading effect ultimately affects patient care, and the difficulty in obtaining National Medical Commission’s permission/renewal of recognition on time,” he added.
Official sources in the Health Department, while confirming that the posts were held on a FAC basis, said deans would be posted soon.
A senior official said the list of candidates had been sent to the government, and a decision was being awaited.
