Mumbai Contractual Assistant professors decry Age-Bar

Mumbai: The Assistant professors hired on a contractual basis in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) hospitals are facing a major uncertainty regarding their employment status since an age-limit stipulation specifies that their contracts will not be renewed after they turn 40.

Due to this, more than 50 assistant professors of the 323 doctors who are currently employed in Mumbai's four civic hospitals will become age-barred in the next three months, HT has reported.

This may also lead to a shortage of doctors in the civic hospitals because such contractual faculties also tend to patients on a full-time basis.

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As per the latest media report by Hindustan Times, assistant professors who teach the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) course, have approached the BMC seeking an extension of the age limit. 

Commenting on the matter, many of the assistant professors informed HT that they were at a crossroads in their careers due to the age limit. Several expressed their sense of betrayal at suddenly being restricted to work as faculties in the civic-body-run medical colleges.

"I have worked in the same position for nine years, with almost no pay hike. We were also worked to the bone during the COVID-19 pandemic, not to mention how hard we work at other times. But now my future here is in jeopardy," said a doctor with KEM hospital.

The doctor, who earned his degree at the institute and was later absorbed on a contract basis as an assistant professor in 2016, added, "I don’t want to move because I believe I can contribute here better because I know the institution well."

There are four municipal teaching hospitals in Mumbai including Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Medical College attached to Cooper Hospital in Andheri, Topiwala National Medical College attached to Nair Hospital at Mumbai Central, Seth Gordhandas Sunderdas Medical College at KEM Hospital in Parel, and Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College at Sion Hospital.

However, there is an age-limit for all the positions of doctors/professors in municipal hospitals. According to the eligibility criteria for assistant professors, candidates must have a year's experience as a senior resident and they must clear the Maharashtra Public Service Commission exam (MPSC) and be under 40 years of age. While the permanent assistant professors must be promoted within four years, there is no such time limit for those who are employed on contractual basis. 

Explaining their situation, another doctor added, "Most of us have been working as assistant professors for three to seven years."

One of the main reasons these professors are in limbo is that the State Government in March 2023 relaxed the age limit by two years for assistant professors in government hospitals in the state. This was done as administrative processes were on hold at the time and MPSC exams were not held. 

Referring to this, the doctor added, "This was only implemented in state-run hospitals, not in BMC hospitals."

As per the information provided by the Association of Ad-hoc and Contractual Assistant Professors of Mumbai, there are a total number of 891 posts of assistant professors across the four BMC-run hospitals. Among these, 323 are filled based on contract, while 439 are still vacant. This means that only 129 posts are filled with permanent employees.

BMC publishes advertisements to fill up the vacant positions. However, as per the association, no advertisements have been published for specialist positions such as medicine, surgery, and community medicine since 2017; for audiology and speech therapy since 2003; and for occupational therapy and physiotherapy since 2008.

Along with all these issues, the contractual professors allegedly received their last salary revisions back in 2010. Commenting on this, a doctor said, "Currently, the pay scales of contractual professors is almost equal to those of resident medical doctors, who are basically students."

They also get a day off from work in every 40 days. Referring to this, another doctor added, "This is because if we work for 365 days at a stretch, in the same position, we become eligible to claim a permanent position."

Additionally, such contractual assistant professors get only 15 days of leave a year, including sick leave and privilege leave. If they take any leave more than that, it results in a pay cut.

The professors association have raised these issues several times since the year 2023 and the last meeting in this regard was held with the deputy municipal commissioner (public health), Sanjay Kurhad,e on March 17.

Commenting on this, a representative said, "We were told that they would look into our issues. However, this has been their response for the last two years, and no action has been taken yet."

Meanwhile, Medical Dialogues had recently reported that to address the increasing demand for medical professionals in government medical colleges, the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) had begun the recruitment process to fill 666 of the 1,600 vacant teaching posts.

According to the data received from a DMER official, these posts include 428 lecturers, 167 associate professors, and 71 professors for government medical colleges. While it does not cover all vacant posts, it is a major relief for government medical colleges that are currently managing contractual teachers.

Also Read: Maharashtra to Fill 666 Vacant Teaching Posts in Government Medical Colleges