VIVEK SHARMA
JAMMU: Bypassing Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (JKPSC), the Government Medical College, Jammu (GMC-J) is all set to fill up 150 vacant faculty positions in various disciplines on ‘Academic Arrangement Basis’.
The process in this regard began in June this year and currently the interviews are going on.
Sources told STATE TIMES that had the vacancies been referred to the Public Service Commission, the selection process would have been completed since, Union Territory Administration has already asked all the departments to speed up the recruitment process to fill up all the vacancies through the JKPSC in respect of gazetted posts and J&K Service Selection Board for non-gazetted slots.
“To adjust the blue-eyed aspirants, the academic arrangement route is generally is the only option,” said Jammu based RTI activist Balwinder Singh, adding that the slots become available quite often when the incumbent faculty members leave their jobs after getting lucrative positions in the private hospital across the country. This is one of the primary reasons for the ailing health sector in Jammu and Kashmir. There is growing trend of criticizing the PSC for delaying selection process but the fact is that the referral departments like the GMC generally adopt dilly dallying attitude to accommodate blue-eyed candidates on adhoc-basis at the cost of deserving and meritorious doctors.
The sources informed that two blue-eyed couples have already been engaged as Lecturers on Academic Arrangements in the Ophthalmology Department, which is already over staffed with six faculty members.
According to the advertisement, four lectures are being selected in the Department of Surgery on ‘Academic Arrangement Basis’ despite 20 Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors and Lecturers are on roll in the department. What is the need to appoint four more on ‘Academic Arrangement Basis’. And, if there is need, the posts should have been referred to the PSC for fair and permanent selection.
In the Department of Ophthalmology, there are already 13 faculty members but even then two posts of Associate Professors are being engaged on ‘Academic Arrangement Basis.’
Similarity, in Pediatrics Surgery Department, one post each of Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, and Lecturer has been advertised on ‘Academic Arrangement Basis.’ Already there are 2 faculty members in this department.
Singh said the Principal GMC and few faculty members will be in the selection panel to select candidates under Academic Arrangement. On the contrary, Singh said, “AIIMS is making selections on permanent basis and every day we are reading advertisements and their progress in media”.
In the Department of Medicine, there are already 13 faculty members including Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professor and Lectures, but still three posts of Professors and 4 lecturers are being filled on ‘Academic Arrangement Basis’.
In Gynecology Department, 15 faculty members including Professors, Associate Professors and Lectures are in place and the GMC is engaging 3 Professors, 2 Associate Professors, and 7 Assistant Professors, on ‘Academic Arrangement Basis’.
In all, vacant slots under Academic Arrangment are being filled in 34 departments of GMC Jammu. Former Minister Yogesh Sawhney said that many qualified doctors have not applied as they are not interested in working on ‘Academic Arrangement Basis’ but want the posts to be referred to the JK PSC for proper selection.
“There is total mismanagement in GMC Jammu. The doctors are not given proper facilities and despite that they keep serving the poor and down-trodden who rush to GMC from far flung areas,” Sawhney said, adding, “We appeal to the UT administration to intervene and save this premier health institution.”
“The Super Specialist doctors on Ad-hoc have to teach, examine patients and also to face GMC management politics”, the former minister said, adding, “Stop this Ad-hocim and make this medical centre to serve the local public with competent doctors”.
