Tamil Nadu plans 4 Regional DME Posts to strengthen medical college administration
Chennai: Four new posts of Regional Directors of Medical Education (DME) and Research have been proposed by the Tamil Nadu Health Department to strengthen the administration of medical colleges and teaching hospitals across the state. An additional post of Additional DME (Research) has also been proposed at the directorate in Chennai to coordinate and strengthen research activities.
Medical Dialogues had previously reported that the Tamil Nadu health department is planning to restructure the Directorate of Medical Education (DME) by creating four regional posts of Directors of Medical Education, as the state’s network of government medical colleges continues to expand.
Also Read:Tamil Nadu Proposes 4 Regional DMEs amid expansion of Govt Medical Colleges
According to an official communication from the Directorate of Medical Education and Research, the four regional offices are proposed to be established at Government Chengalpattu Medical College, Government Coimbatore Medical College, KAP Viswanatham Government Medical College in Tiruchi, and Madurai Medical College.
At present, the state has a single Director of Medical Education based in Chennai.
The decision to create the new posts was taken at a meeting held at the Secretariat in September under the chairmanship of the Health Secretary. The meeting discussed the creation of four Regional DME posts and one Additional DME (Research) post, along with additional ministerial staff positions.
Following the meeting, a proposal seeking government approval for the posts has since been submitted.
The directorate has asked the deans of the four identified medical colleges to identify suitable vacant space within their existing college or hospital buildings for the proposed regional offices.
Each office is expected to require between 800 and 1,200 square feet to accommodate the Regional DME, ministerial staff and other support personnel. The directorate has also sought detailed estimates for renovation and other necessary work, with expenditure capped at Rs 50 lakh.
The proposed restructuring comes amid the expansion of undergraduate, postgraduate and super-speciality medical education in Tamil Nadu, alongside increasing regulatory requirements and growing administrative responsibilities at medical colleges and teaching hospitals.
In a letter to the Health Secretary, the Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association (SDPGA) highlighted the expanding workload of the Directorate of Medical Education and Research, including the growing number of medical education programmes and compliance requirements of the National Medical Commission (NMC).
“The government wants to create four Regional DMEs, since the DME is unable to visit all 38 medical college hospitals currently. During a recent meeting, we agreed to the government’s proposal to create four Regional DMEs, as it was promised that this will be a promotional post after the post of dean. However, we have put forward the need to grant additional powers for the DME. The DME should be granted financial autonomy and powers to approve the promotion panels,” A. Ramalingam, State General Secretary, SDPGA, said, reports The Hindu.
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