More than 1400 new senior residency posts in medical colleges to come up in state

Mumbai From the next academic session, the number of senior residency posts in Maharashtra will be increased by more than 1400, said Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER)

Mumbai From the next academic session, the number of senior residency posts in Maharashtra will be increased by more than 1400, said Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER).

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The decision was taken in the wake of bonded resident doctors making an appeal before the authorities. Insufficient posts for senior residents, who can go on to become professors, is marring medical education in the state even as medical colleges grapple with shortage of teachers, resident doctors had pointed out.

The Maharashtra Association of Bonded Resident Doctors (MABRD) had earlier written to the DMER stating that while the number of postgraduate seats in the colleges keep increasing, the number of senior resident posts has not been increased much leaving many post-graduates without senior residency. On Tuesday, the association members met medical education secretary Dr Ashwini Joshi, joint secretary Dr Shivaji Patankar and DMER director Dr Dilip Mhaisekar to discuss the issue.

During their three-year post graduate programme (MD/MS/DNB), medical students are called junior residents. After their post-graduate degree, they can take up senior residency. It is only after completion of the mandatory one-year bond working for the state government that they can opt to go into academics or a private job.

MABRD president Dr Pranav Jadhav said that the discussion with the authorities included the need for more senior residency posts, pay disparity among resident doctors in different medical colleges across the state insisting on one post, one pay and accommodation facilities accorded to the senior residents. Calling the meeting fruitful, he said, “We hope that all MD/MS pass out candidates will be given senior residencies so that it makes them eligible for the post of assistant professor.”

The discussion also touched upon the topic of eliminating the post of the tutors in the medical colleges. In order to overcome the shortage of medical teachers in the country, the National Medical Commission recently allowed non-medical candidates with a master’s degree in subjects like biochemistry and physiology to take over as tutors. Resident doctors are highly opposed to this move, saying that better qualified people who have completed post-graduation in medicine as well as one year residency are available in large numbers already.

When asked about the outcome of the meeting, Dr Mhaisekar confirmed that the process for increasing the senior residency posts has already begun. He also pointed out that there are not many takers for posts in smaller cities many of which are vacant even today.

“We can’t allow the doctors to choose their postings as this is done on merit basis. The need for additional SR posts has been communicated to the government, and has also been approved in principle. We expect receive an official decision on adding 1400 posts in medical colleges by January,” he said. These posts would most likely be filled up before the start of the next academic year that begins in July.