No new posts in Kerala Medical College hospital for decades

Kozhikode: The Medical College hospital (MCH) here is grappling with work overload as no new posts have been created in the premier institution in the past two decades.

At the same time, there has been an unprecedented surge in the number of patients and in the number of MBBS seats.

Infrastructure also does not grow proportionally, there is no animal house and research lab which are mandatory according to the Medical council of India (MCI) guidelines.

According to the Kerala Government Medical College Teachers' Association (KGMCTA), nearly double the existing posts at all levels are required to meet the situation.

“There are 324 posts under various categories and levels in the 32 departments of the medical college. It should be brought up to 600 for the smooth running of the institution,” said Dr. Karunan. K, secretary of KGMCTA, MCH chapter.

The eight basic departments also suffer from a lack of new postings. Three years back, the departments of family medicine and emergency medicine were started without the requisite number of posts.

“Faculty was hired from the other departments to run the newly created one,” alleged Dr Karunan. This temporary shuffling has created administrative problems in other departments too. It has been pointed that such temporary arrangements would cause a setback before the MCI.

Besides, vacant posts are also affecting the functioning of the MCH. In the casualty section alone, there is a major shortage of 18 anaesthetics.

This has caused a delay in attending cases and has triggered altercations between doctors and relatives of the patients. “Apart from the acute shortage of anesthetics, we are grappling with the problem of space crunch,” admits Dr. M.K Raveendran, casuality Superintendent.