Tanda Medical College Working Jeopardised

Neelkant Bhardwaj

Dr. Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College and Hospital, Tanda caters to the medical exigencies of people of six districts in lower areas. Established in 1996, this institute has grown with the passage of time. However, its working has been jeopardised every time a new medical college is opened in Himachal; be it in Chamba, Nahan, Mandi and now Hamirpur. The faculty is shifted from two main health institutions of this hilly state, namely IGMC, Shimla and Tanda Medical College with the latter suffering more due to recent transfers of teaching staff. The transfers are effected in the wake of medical Council of India’s team likely to visit newly opened medical colleges for granting recognition. As a result, 40 faculty positions are presently vacant in TMC that is hampering teaching, research and other activities. About 500 MBBS and 80 post graduate students are pursuing studies at TMC. IN addition, many other sanctioned projects are yet to be implemented here.

Sanctioned Facilities Elude TMC

Many of the sanctioned facilities are yet to be translated into reality at TMC. These include School of Public Health, Multinational Research Unit, Skill Laboratory, Mental Health Centre and others which have already been sanctioned but not started until now.

* Transfers affect TandaMedicalCollege

* New Medical Colleges hit TMC

* Resentment over transfer of faculty

* Medical Council of India team’s visit soon

* First batch likely in Hamirpur Medical Colleges

* First batch in Nahan, Mandi and Chamba medical colleges already admitted

Dr. Rajendra Prasad Medical College, Tanda is second biggest medical college after Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla in Himachal. Providing health facilities to people of six districts, this college is however suffering badly due to transfer of faculty to newly opened medical colleges in this hilly state. It is due to the lack of political will that this issue has never been raised at an appropriate platform. Tanda Medical College is located in politically significant district Kangra that plays pivotal role in making any government in the state. However, there is no dearth of infrastructural facilities here but only specialists who can operate them are missing. As a result, Radiology Department has not been fully functional until now and radiotherapy machine has been dumped in a corner. The specialists posted here have been sent to IGMC; be it neurosurgeon, nephrologist or tuberculosis expert. Staff posted at new medical colleges is mostly transferred from Tanda Medical College.

* 308 Posts of doctors for 800-bedded Tanda Hospital

* 104 Posts of doctors lying vacant in hospital

* 120 Faculty posts required to run medical college as per Medical Council of India norms

* 40 Teaching posts lying vacant in TandaMedicalCollege

* First batch was admitted in TMC in 1998

TAMCOT Enraged

Teachers Association of Medical College of Tanda (TAMCOT) is enraged over the transfer of teaching faculty from TMC to new medical colleges. This will not only prove detrimental for TMC only but also for new colleges. It has urged the state government to stop transfer of teachers and recruit new faculty for the new medical colleges.

* Doctors and patients will face difficulties due to transfer of faculty from the RPGMC. The government should fill up new posts to provide opportunity to youths. Shifting of staff from two medical colleges here and there will affect health services also

Dr. RS Jamwal, President, TAMCOT

* Both the IGMC and TMC are important health institutes of Himachal providing health facilities to people. Not only the faculty transferred from these institutes will be brought back but vacant posts of teachers and doctors will also be filled. Other infrastructural facilities will also be provided in a phased manner

Vipin Singh Parmar,  Health Minister

Challenges…

What If MCI Visits TMC?

Transfers impact three components of any medical college including teaching, research and health services for patients. Knowledgeable sources reveal that recognition of Tanda Medical College will be threatened if Medical Council of India team conducts a surprise check of the institution. The recognition can be canceled if the MCI team finds shortcomings in faculty positions and infrastructural facilities.

Recognition of Indore College Was Cancelled

Notably, MCI had cancelled the recognition of a reputed medical college of Indore due to shortage of faculty and infrastructural facilities. It had also denied recognition to nine new medical colleges.

Slipped In Ranking

Having made it to the list of top 25 medical colleges of the country, TMC has slipped out of the Outlook ranking list. It ranks 400 private and government medical colleges based on different parameters, including selection process, academic excellence, personality development, infrastructure and placement system. After performing well for three consecutive years, TMC has been excluded from the list of top 25 colleges in 2017.

TMC’s History

India’s first President Dr. Rajendra Prasad laid foundation stone of TB sanitarium on May 21, 1958. Foundation stone of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Medical College, Tanda was laid on October 23, 1996. First batch admitted in 1998 was attached with Dharamshala hospital. The OPD was started in 2007. Super speciality block was started in 2014 but that is also facing staff shortage. Tanda Medical Hospital having 800 beds receives around 2500 patients in the OPD. The hospital has 1304 sanctioned posts but 494 posts are lying vacant.

Transfers of Faculty

A team of Medical Council of India is likely to visit medical colleges in Nahan, Mandi, Chamba and Hamirpur. First batch was admitted in Chamba, Mandi and Nahan colleges last year and Hamirpur will have first batch in coming session.  Faculty from TMC and IGMS is being transferred from IGMC and TMC to fulfill requirements of new medical colleges as per MCI norms. About 14 faculty staff was shifted from TMC to Hamirpur recently. Earlier 15 to Chamba, six to Mandi and one expert was transferred to Nahan. Notably, MCI team visits new medical colleges once a year during surprise inspection to know the factual position of faculty and facilities.

500 MBBS Students At TMC

Presently 500 MBBS and 80 post graduate students are pursuing their studies at TMC. MCI norms stipulate 120 faculty positions to run a medical college. Forty teachers have been shifted from TMC leaving behind a strength of only 80 faculty positions. It is bound to effect teaching, research and treatment aspects, say knowledgeable persons.

Chamba Medical College

Sanctioned Faculty       130

Present Faculty             116

Nahan Medical College

Teaching Posts             91

Present Faculty             78

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