Release Yearly UPSC Vacancies for Regular Faculty Positions in Medical Colleges: Doctors Tell Health Minister

New Delhi: Highlighting the significant paucity of vacancies released by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for regular faculty positions in medical colleges, the doctors under the Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) recently urged the Health Ministry to look into the matter.

The doctors have requested the Health Minister to ensure that instead of ad-hoc or contractual employment, the vacant posts in medical colleges across the country get filled by regular faculties. To ensure this, the doctors have urged the authorities to release UPSC Vacancies for regular faculty positions in medical colleges every year.

Further, to assess the current status of the vacant seats, the doctors also urged the Minister to initiate a comprehensive survey. "It is our sincere request that your esteemed office intervenes in this matter to initiate a comprehensive survey. This survey should assess the current status of vacant seats or those filled on a contractual basis and subsequently release a seat matrix through UPSC. This step is imperative not only for the welfare of our residents but also for the sustained growth and quality of our healthcare institutions," the doctors mentioned in the letter dated 30.12.2023.

Commenting on the matter, the General Secretary of FORDA, Dr. Sarvesh Pandey told Medical Dialogues, "Generally, the vacant posts of faculties in medical colleges get filled by contractual employees. Sometimes, such doctors leave the job midway, and as a result of this postgraduate medical education is affected. Apart from this, these doctors are also required to undertake other work such as OT duties, seeing patients etc."

"So, we have urged the Health Minister to ensure that vacancies for the UPSC posts are released every year because only then the healthcare system will improve," he further added.

In the letter directed to the Health Minister, the doctors mentioned that the recruitment of regular faculty in medical colleges and associated hospitals is a "matter of utmost importance".

Referring to the paucity of UPSC vacancies, the doctors mentioned, "The process of appointing faculty through UPSC plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of medical education and healthcare in our country. However, it has come to our attention that there has been a significant paucity of vacancies released by UPSC for regular posts in certain clinical branches. including orthopedics, medicine, surgery, and others, persisting for an alarming duration of up to four years."

The doctors also expressed their concern over the fact that regular posts are often replaced by contractual employments and mentioned, "For residents graduating front their senior residency and aspiring to contribute to the teaching profession, UPSC serves as the primary gateway. Unfortunately, these valuable opportunities seem to be increasingly replaced by contractual and Ad Hoc appointments, raising concerns about the fundamental fairness and transparency of such a practice."