Error in govt ads leaves medicos a deprived lot

PATNA: Issuance of two different ads by the state health department in a single month regarding appointment of senior residents\tutors in the six government-run medical colleges in the state has exposed the health department’s style of functioning.

The department through advertisements, issued on December 10 and 11 in newspapers in 2009, had invited applications for the posts of senior residents\tutors in the government-run medical colleges. The panel of senior residents\tutors was to be constituted counting 2010-11 as the base year while the last date for filing applications was December 31, 2009.

However, the department on December 25 issued another advertisement changing the base year from 2010-11 to 2008-09. The move deprived such postgraduate medical students from being appointed against the aforesaid posts who had applied for the posts as appearing candidates in postgraduate examination, the result for which were announced in May 2010.

The state government’s move not only deprived such candidates from being appointed to these posts, but also a large number of posts in many departments remained vacant due to shortage of candidates, the panel for which was declared on June 16 this year.

Take this: In Anatomy, while the number of posts advertised was 41, only 11 appointments were made. In biochemistry, while 27 vacancies were advertized, only 18 appointments could be made. Similarly, in radiology and anaesthesia having 27 and 44 vacancies respectively, only 10 and 32 appointments were made.

However, the department officials have their own arguments. Additional secretary, health, Sanjeev Hans, said, “We had to change the year from 2010-11 to 2008-09, in the wake of a Supreme Court order which clearly states that the last month of the year (December) should be counted as the base year for any recruitment being made in that given year. So, as per rules cadres should be from financial year 2008-09 as the notification was issued in 2008 itself.” He admitted mistake in advertisement for the said posts.

However, when asked about a large number of posts remaining vacant, Hans said that they can apply afresh this year when ads would be issued again.

Mohammad Ali Muzaffar, a student of Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), said, “Five students from DMCH had applied for the post of senior residents/tutors in anatomy.” Many more such cases exist in different subjects in different government medical colleges in the state, he said and added that a delegation had met health minister Nand Kishore Yadav, principal secretary, health, C K Mishra and Hans, but to no avail.