Srinagar, Jan 23: Medical Faculty Association (MFA) of government medical and dental college Srinagar has reacted sharply over the assigning of various key duties and additional responsibilities to the Administrators of Associated Hospitals of Government Medical College Srinagar/Jammu.
The MFA have termed the move as a clear infringement on the rights and the jurisdiction of the executive heads of the medical institutions ensured by the National Medical Commission (NMC) and the University Grants Commission.
In an emergency meeting on Saturday, MFA discussed the Government draft-proposal regarding diversion of administrative powers of Principal Government Medical College Srinagar/Jammu to the Administrators of Associated Hospitals, and the implications thereof.
“The association strongly feels that the draft-proposal amounts to degrading the chair of the Principals/Deans of the Government Medical Colleges of Srinagar and Jammu. It is a clear infringement on the rights and the jurisdiction of the executive heads of the medical institutions ensured by the National Medical Commission and the University Grants Commission”, the MFA spokesman said.
The proposal, MFA said, is against the best interests of patient care as the nuances of Healthcare and Medical Education can better be understood by an administrative head from a medical background.
"The proposal is against the affairs of undergraduate/postgraduate/Postdoctoral students where Principal is signatory between National Medical Commission, the university of affiliation and the students”, the MFA said adding that, “It is likely to adversely affect the recognition of the courses at all levels, the Association said”.
The draft-proposal is demoralizing to the faculty members who are busy fighting unrelenting variants of Covid-19 like Omicron, and Delta in addition to their routine responsibilities of healthcare and medical education, the MFA said.
The MFA spokesman said that the association would have no objection if the arrangement were part of a national scheme applicable to all such institutions of the country. “No such example is available from any medical institutions in any of the states or the Union Territories.”
“The Medical Faculty Association urges the government to not go ahead with the draft-proposal so as to ensure the respect and the rights of the executive heads of medical institutions of repute like GMC Srinagar/Jammu and, hence, a cordial working atmosphere among various levels of administration is not disturbed”, the MFA added.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration last week in a meeting assigned the Administrators, Personal Officers, and Administrative Officers at Government Medical Colleges and Subordinate Departments of Health and Medical Education Department various key duties and additional responsibilities.
Experts have called the stripping of powers of principals as degrading of the chair of the Principals/Deans of the Government Medical Colleges of Srinagar and Jammu and have urged the government not to go ahead with the proposal.