THE State Government’s decision to reroute teaching posts in Government medical colleges, though restricted largely to nonclinical departments, has triggered concern among the teaching fraternity over its likely impact on classroom and practical education. The Government has undertaken redistribution of teaching posts in departments including Anatomy,Physiology, Pathology, Forensic Medicine, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Preventive and Social Medicine, taking into account the minimum faculty requirement prescribed by the National Medical Commission (NMC). However, faculty members point out that there is a significant difference between the minimum number of teachers required under NMC norms andthe number actually needed toeffectively teach students, particularly in colleges with a large undergraduate intake.

 

Under thepresent exercise, a post is being considered excess if the number of faculty members in a particular category is higher than the minimum requirement prescribed by the NMC. For instance, if a medical college has two sanctioned posts of Professor in Anatomy while the NMC minimum requirement is one, one post is being treated as excess and the incumbent transferred to another college. While such redistribution may help address shortages elsewhere, teachers contend that it could create a teaching vacuum in the parent institution, especially where the number of students is high. “NMC prescribes the minimum faculty requirement for recognition and regulatory purposes. It does not necessarily mean that the same number of teachers is sufficient for conducting quality teaching when the actual student strength is taken into account,” said a faculty member.

 

The issue assumes importance as Government medical colleges have witnessed a substantial expansion in undergraduate as well as postgraduate seats over the years. The increase in student intake has naturally increased the teaching workload, but the current redistribution exercise is being undertaken largely on the basis of minimum staffing norms. Maharashtra State Medical Teachers’ Association expressed its unhappiness over the decision and demanded that the Government should reconsider the decision. It has pointed out that Agriculture Department too had taken such decision and then withdrew the same when it found that it was affecting the teaching. Faculty members fear that the exercise could eventually result in a situation where a single teacher is required to handle classes and practical sessions involving hundreds of students.

 

This could reduce individual interaction with students and put additional pressure on teachers. Teachers also point out that non-clinical departments form the foundation of medical education. Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry and other pre-clinical subjects provide the basic knowledge on which students build their understanding of clinical medicine. Any reduction in faculty strength in these departments can therefore have a cascading effect on undergraduate medical education. With faculty transfers already taking place, teachers are now apprehensive that the move, intended to rationalise manpower and fill vacancies in colleges facing shortages, could instead lead to an uneven distribution of teaching workload across Government medical colleges.