Mass Faculty Transfer at ESI PGIMSR Delhi, Medicos on protest
New Delhi: The medical students belonging to ESI Post Graduate Institute of Medical Science and Research (PGIMSR) in Basaidarpur, New Delhi, have been protesting against the massive faculty transfer at the institute since Wednesday.
On the basis of the order by the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Committee on May 20, altogether 49 faculty (90% of the entire faculty strength) have been transferred out of the New Delhi Campus. However, only 38 faculty members have been transferred to the institute, resulting in a huge shortage of 11 faculty members.
Protesting against this decision since Wednesday, the medical students from the institute have demanded that the transfer order gets revoked. In fact, the PG medical students of the institute recently wrote to the Postgraduate medical education board of National Medical Commission (NMC) in this regard and mentioned, "This will lead to huge academic loss to all the residents. The new faculty being transferred here may not have expertise in the thesis topics given, causing hindrance in completion of thesis. Also to the 3rd year Residents who are going to appear for exams in coming 2 weeks."
Urging NMC to look into the matter on an urgent basis, the students further pointed out how simultaneous transfer of whole faculty will lead to disruption in their normal learning process and cause derecognition of the department and put their careers at stake.
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The students have also written to the Medical Superintendent of ESIC Basaidarapur and mentioned, "...we are very distressed and are feeling very frustrated because of our academics, ongoing thesis, research projects and super specialty services are going to get jeopardized and our career is going to be at risk with the above unjustified notification."
"...we are left with no other options other than requesting and protesting against the competent authority, so that the above notice can be taken back and our career can be saved. Hence we wanted to bring to your notice sir that we will be going on protest tomorrow. (25/02/2023) morning at 9am, in front of administration block and if needed, we will be moving forward to carry this protest to higher authority, such that the emergency services and patient care will not be hampered," the letter further mentioned.
The students have also pointed out that the transfer violates the NMC rules specifying that the faculties cannot be transferred mid academic session if it creates deficiency.
While commenting on the matter, Dr Rahul Rohitraj, a representative of the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) at ESI PGIMSR told Edex Live, "The transfer order informs that the move should be implemented immediately. We protested from morning to afternoon yesterday and today (May 25). We shall continue this tomorrow as well."
"The transfers were done arbitrarily, and not in a phased manner. Faculty members were transferred from here to other districts and even other states. Some were also allotted hospitals in the South zone," he added.
Mentioning that highly experienced doctors were transferred to smaller hospitals with no PG education facilities, he further mentioned, "Some were transferred from 1,000-bedded hospitals to 100-bedded hospitals. We have to submit our research work before our final year. But this order is creating a disruption in the academic calendar, and is also affecting our research work."
"Students who score a high percentage in NEET PG get to choose government hospitals in Delhi, which is the hotspot for medical education. Students who choose ESI have high expectations because of the faculty it has. Now those faculty members are being transferred. There is a programme at ESI through which students can be chosen by the faculty. This will be affected," Dr. Rahul said. "With such an order the college is also risking its NMC recognition," he added.
Medical Dialogues had earlier reported about the recent major faculty transfer at ESIC Medical College and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences and Research in KK Nagar, Chennai. Upset with the transfer of altogether 36 faculty members, hundreds of medical students from the institute protested against the decision taken by ESIC headquarters.
The students alleged that in the middle of the academic year, the entire batch of teachers for the freshmen anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry have been transferred to ESIC Medical College in Bengaluru, whereas the staff from the Bengaluru campus have been moved to Chennai.
Allegedly, most of the teachers who teach microbiology, pharmacology and pathology for the second-year students have also been transferred along with the faculties in anaesthesia and obstetrics-gynecology.
Protesting against the decision of the authorities in this regard, around 500 UG medical students belonging to the medical college raised slogans, and marched on the campus holding placards.
Also Read: 36 Faculties transferred from Chennai ESIC Medical College, Medicos stage Protest
