Strong action will be taken against medical colleges not maintaining proper faculty: Union Health Minister

"We have to give quality education to students, we have to produce good doctors. We have taken strong action against those institutions which were not maintaining proper faculty and some more action will be taken against some other institutions," he said.

Such a statement comes from the Union Health Minister when the data shared by the MoS Health Dr. Bharati Pravin pawar has revealed severe faculty shortage at newly constituted eighteen AIIMS across India.

Also Read: Eighteen new AIIMS Reeling under severe faculty shortage- Up to 78 percent posts vacant, reveals Health Ministry data

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that the Health Minister data has revealed that around 44 percent posts of faculties are lying vacant in these institutes with 1,767 posts being unfilled among the total sanctioned strength for 4,026 posts. The condition is worst in case of AIIMS Rajkot, where around 78% posts of faculties are lying vacant since only 40 seats out of 183 sanctioned posts could be filled up.

Condition in not good for four other AIIMS where there is more than 50% vacant posts available. In case of AIIMS Vijaypur 58% posts are lying vacant, whereas in AIIMS Gorakhpur, Guwahati and Raebareli 57.3%, 56.8% and 55% posts of faculties are yet to be filled.

Amid such a situation the Union Health Minister on Friday has informed the Lok Sabha that the government would not hesitate to take strong action against those medical colleges which are found to be involved in irregularities.

Replying to a question about progress of the AIIMS Madurai, he said classes for students have already started while work on the permanent building will begin soon after some delay due to changes in the proposed structure, leading to increase of budget from Rs 1200 crore to Rs 1900 crore.

"The government of India is committed to serve the people of Tamil Nadu through AIIMS Madurai. No need to worry, we will complete the project. We will build a good AIIMS (in Madurai)," he said.

It should be mentioned in this context that while informing about the faculty condition at the newly constituted AIIMS, the Health Ministry has informed that AIIMS Madurai has started MBBS course of 50 students with 8 contractual faculty and 4 faculty provided by AIIMS Mangalagiri.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Mandaviya has informed that in order to augment the availability of qualified human resource in health and to reduce disparities in the existing geographical distribution of medical colleges in the country, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare administers a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) for establishment of new medical colleges attached with existing district or referral hospitals with preference to underserved areas and aspirational districts, where there is no existing government or private medical college.

He said under the scheme, a total of 157 medical colleges have been sanctioned in three phases with fund sharing between the Centre and State Governments in the ratio of 90:10 for Northeastern and Special Category States and 60:40 for others.

As per the scheme guidelines, the state government is the implementing agency and the planning, execution and commissioning of the projects is to be done by the state government. The release of funds under the scheme is based on pace of expenditure, release of corresponding state share and receipt of utilisation certificates, as well as demand from State and UT Government, he said.

Meanwhile, recently the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health has expressed its concern over the filling up of vacant posts at various hospitals under the Health Ministry.

In its 140th report tabled in Rajya Sabha, the Panel has asked Health Ministry to submit the response of the cadres controlling authorities towards filling up vacant posts. The panel has expressed concern saying it must have bearing on the administrative efficiency and overall functioning of these facilities.

Also Read: Fill up vacancies at AIIMS, other state-run hospitals: Parliamentary panel tells Health Ministry