Govt overlooking merit in appointments to DME

In the wake of the increasing number of Medical Colleges in the state, the appointment to the post of Director of Medical Education (DME) has raised serious concern with allegations that people without necessary qualifications are being tipped for the post.

Despite people having more experience in teaching and clinical care, administrative experience, management qualification and research papers, it is alleged that the government is considering those who have no such experience, which is alleged to be out of political and other pressures.

Stating that merit was never considered for appointments, Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA) secretary Dr C P Vijayan stressed that qualified academicians should only be made DMEs as they can only only bring in novel ideas for developing the medical education sector, which is already said to be deteriorating in the state.

It is reliably known that Kottayam Principal Dr A Remla Beevi and Cochin Medical College Principal Dr Praveen Lal have been considered for the post by the Departmental Promotion committee. It is learned that the government is considering Dr Beevi to the post as the other one is about to retire in a few months.

Generally seniority of principals are taken when making appointments for the post. Even if this criteria is considered, the sources said that there are several others who are more senior than the two who are now being considered. It is also alleged that Kottayam Principal does not have published papers and also falls short of the required 10 years of teaching experience. According to the Medical Council of India norms, ten years of teaching experience and ten published papers are needed for becoming principal or to get appointed to key posts, which are violated here.

Source: The newindian express 

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/459104/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/16-03-2015#page/5/1

Medicos against increasing pension age

The government is all out for increasing the pension age of doctors despite protest from the medical fraternity, who allege it as a move to help a few in the administrative wing whose tenure ends this March. Moreover, the government is for increasing the retirement age at a time hundreds of doctors are in waiting in the PSC list that has been pending for a long time. 

It is learned that there is much pressure from political parties, office of the Directorate of Medical Education and Directorate of Health Services even though the health department is known to have raised certain objections.  The proposal with the health department is to increase the retirement age of doctors in the DME from 60 to 63 and those with the health service from  56 to 58. 

All the major associations such as the Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA), Junior Doctors Association (JDA), Kerala Medical Postgraduates Association (KMPGA) and Kerala Government Medical Officers Association (KGMOA) and Kerala Government Specialist Doctors Association (KGSDA) point out that increasing pension age will only hamper employment opportunities.

Meanwhile Health Minister V S Sivakumar said that no such file has come before him. ''Nothing of that such sort is being discussed now,'' he said. However, it is known that the department has already gone ahead with the proposal under much pressure.

Source: The newindianexpress 

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/425278/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/26-01-2015#page/4/1

Massive Failure of Medicos in Kerala Raises Concern

The massive failure of medical students in the state, particularly in the private medical colleges, has raised serious concern among the medical fraternity, who point out quality erosion in the medical education sector, including shortage of faculty and lack of infrastructure for the failure.

With the results out for the first year MBBS, a majority of the self financing and private colleges showed a poor performance than the government medical colleges. As per the results, some colleges had 90 per cent failure and in total more than 30 per cent of the students have failed.

''The failure only shows that the medical education sector is distorted,'' said Dr B Eqbal, former Vice-chancellor of Kerala University and a public health activist. The Kerala University of Health Sciences should have to reassess the affiliation given to the medical colleges that has come out with such poor result.

It is alleged that the quality of medical education has come down with the uncontrolled proliferation of medical colleges in the state. There are not enough qualified faculty and also proper infrastructure for ensuring that the students are given the best education, it is alleged. It is also said that the faculty at the institutions are not given proper training.

Indian Medical Association (IMA) president Sreejith N Kumar said that the results were of serious concern and all the aspects that led to the failure should be analysed. ''The absence of dedicated faculty and lack of infrastructure are some of the reasons that the IMA sees as a cause,'' he said. Most of the medical colleges engage faculty during the time of MCI inspection, which has to be strictly monitored, he said. Kumar noted that a detailed analysis of the student intake was also needed. Noting that the KUHS also had a major role in ensuring quality of education, he said '' apart from the MCI inspections, the KUHS should also conduct random checks and ensure that a system is in place for improving quality of medical education.

source The Newindian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/398000/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/18-12-2014#page/6/1

Row Over Govt Move to Extend DME Service

With the Director of Medical Education's tenure to end this month, the government's move to give extension for another two more years has led to wide criticism, with many see it as a prelude to the government's attempt to increase the retirement age of teachers in the Medical Education Service.

It is also alleged that the government that shows much enthusiasm in giving extension to the existing higher officials, it has not shown interest in making any new recruitment. Already a list of doctors, of which 900 have specialty qualification, is pending and is alleged that the PSC was ready to fill the posts within two weeks if the Directorate of Medical Education had notified the posts.

Pressure is alleged be mounting on the government as well as the health department for extending the period of the DME. However, sources said that if the extension was given, it would only create an unnecessary precedence. The move is also seen as a prelude to the government's intention to increase the retirement age in the Medical Education Service to 62.

Meanwhile Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA), which has always stood against increasing the pension age, said that they vehemently opposed any such move. ''The Association opposes the retirement age or extension of service of any individual or in general,'' KGMCTA general secretary Dr C P Vijayan said. Moreover, he also pointed out that the seven long years of the present DME was not fruitful.

However, officials in the health department said that there was no such pressure for extending the DME's tenure. They said that the DME can continue till the end of the academic year. But it is said that there was no superannuation as the post was only an administrative one and not academic. 

Source< The New Indian Express

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/381029/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/24-11-2014#page/4/1

 

Govt says redeployment of MC Doctors based on DME report

Even as the Medical College teachers threaten to launch an agitation against redeploying doctors at the Medical Colleges to run the newly set up Medical colleges at Manjeri and Idukki, the government has stated that the decision to redeploy them was taken based on a report of the Director of Medical Education (DME).

The government has made it clear that the DME, who was asked for a report on the staff pattern, had given a report that there were more teachers as per the norms of the Medical Council of India in the existing medical colleges. ''When the file for creating posts at the new medical colleges was sent to the Finance Department, it had asked for a report of the staff pattern in the Medical Colleges. The DME was entrusted with the task and the director had reported that there were more teachers in the Medical Colleges as per the MCI Norms,'' Health Minister V S Sivakumar said.

On the notice served by the Kerala Government Medical College Teachers Association (KGMCTA) that they would go for a strike if Government issues an order with respect to redeployment, he said that the government has nothing to do in this. ''It is their head who said in the report that the medical colleges had more teachers than the prescribed MCI norms and the doctors can be redeployed. It was only after this report that the government had moved ahead in the issue,'' he said.

Source: The new Indian express 

http://epaper.newindianexpress.com/376154/The-New-Indian-Express-Thiruvananthapuram/17-11-2014#page/3/1