Himachal Pradesh Medical Association opposes faculty cadre merger in medical colleges

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh's State Association of Medical and Dental College Teachers (SAMDCOT) has opposed the proposed policy of cadre merger across all medical colleges in Himachal Pradesh, raising concerns that its implementation could cause chaos within the medical institutions.

The policy will undermine the core objective of medical colleges — patient care, said SAMDCOT in a statement issued on Saturday.

The state government had recently decided to establish a common cadre for all future faculty appointments in all government medical colleges and super-speciality institutions across the state, aiming to enhance equity, operational efficiency and the overall quality of medical education and healthcare services.

According to the PTI report, in the statement, association members said that merging cadres across medical colleges would risk destabilising the teaching and operational environment, leading to inconsistencies in faculty seniority and overall effectiveness.

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“We urge the government to focus on improving infrastructure, increasing financial incentives and supporting the professional development of medical faculty rather than disrupting the ongoing system,” said Balbir Verma and Piyush Kapila, president and general secretary of SAMDCOT.

SAMDCOT calls on the authorities to reconsider this policy and engage in meaningful discussions with all stakeholders involved.

A policy that endangers patient care, undermines the quality of medical education, and destabilizes faculty structures will not lead to progress but will instead hinder the development of healthcare in our state, the statement said.

The proposed policy of cadre merger will create disruptions in the faculty structure, leading to instability and a lack of ownership in patient management. It will result in marked inconsistencies in faculty seniority due to the different norms followed during recruitment across various medical colleges, the statement added.

Medical Dialogues recently reported that the Teachers Welfare Association of Medical College Tanda (TAMCOT) has strongly opposed the Himachal Pradesh government's decision to merge the faculty cadre of various medical colleges. The association has threatened to go on mass casual leave if the government proceeds with the plan.

Research initiatives could be jeopardised by the forced transfer of faculty, leading to a loss of continuity and progress. The move will lead to workplace instability, leaving faculty members demotivated and disillusioned. There are six government medical colleges in the state, one each in Shimla, Kangra, Mandi, Chamba, Hamirpur and Sirmaur districts, adds PTI.

In a statement, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had earlier said that at present, faculty appointments follow a college-specific cadre system, leading to administrative redundancies, inconsistencies in service conditions, and acute faculty shortages, particularly in newly established medical colleges.

To address these challenges, the common cadre system will create a unified structure for faculty recruitment, career progression, and inter-institutional transfers, ensuring a fair and transparent framework for faculty management, he had said.

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