RIMS issues rejoinder to HL expose
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, May 26 2015 : On May 24, 2015 Hueiyen Lanpao (HL) had carried an expose on how the medicos are cheated.

It was published shortly after the "relieving" of Prof M Amuba from the post of HOD as it was against all MCI and UGC rules.

For record and clarity, HL Staff Reporter is making a para-wise clarification to the RIMS rejoinder.

RIMS: Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal is governed by Bye�Laws of the institute and decisions taken by the Board of Governors (BOG), Executive Council (EC) & Standing Finance Committee (SFC), Society of RIMS, Imphal from time to time.

The post of Medical Superintendent (MS), RIMS Hospital, Imphal has been categorized as non-teaching administrative post.

The question of MS, RIMS Hospital taking part in the teaching activities of the institute has been raised in different platforms.

Staff Reporter clarifies: The post of MS in RIMS hospital is a full time, residential, non-teaching post with no clinical attachment.

The age of superannuation is 62 years as per advertisement and as against 65 years of teaching medical staff and Director.

RIMS: As per the decision of the 40th Executive Council meeting held on 13th Nov., 2009 under the chairpersonship of K Sujatha Rao, the then Secretary (Health), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, it was decided that "...

any incumbent to the post of MS, RIMS, Hospital appointed from any of the teaching departments of the institute may continue teaching activities in his/her department" .

Staff Reporter clarifies: However, such an incumbent cannot continue to hold the post of professor in his/her former department.

He may continue to teach voluntarily without holding a post in that department.

RIMS: It may be further relevant to mention the provisions of Medical Council of India (MCI), minimum qualification for teachers in Medical Institutions Regulation, 1998 (amended upto August, 2012) Clause 3, Schedule-I wherein administrators like Director, Principal, Dean and Medical Superintendent of Medical College/institution can take part in teaching in their concerned department.

This has been followed in almost all the Medical Colleges/institutes including RIMS, Imphal in the country.

Staff Reporter clarifies: This has not been followed in RIMS (e.g.Dr AD Singh, Dr S Arunchandra, Dr Y.Mohen left their departmental posts to join as MS and did not take part in teachings) .

RIMS: Prof M Amuba Singh, the present Medical Superintendent, RIMS Hospital, Imphal having been appointed as MS, RIMS Hospital, Imphal from a teaching department of the institute (Biochemistry Department) is entitled to continue teaching after his appointment as Medical Superintendent, RIMS Hospital, Imphal.

Moreover, MCI provisions also allow him to continue teaching in his concerned department.

Staff Reporter adds: But he cannot continue to hold a post of professor in the department of Biochemistry as per MCI and UGC rules.

RIMS: In an institute like RIMS, Imphal the provisions of MCI are followed in synchronization with the Bye-Laws of the institute and decisions of the BOG, EC and SFC taken from time to time.

There are instances where provisions of MCI are not applicable such as the age superannuation (70 years as per MCI and 65 years for RIMS), qualifications and experience in the Recruitment Rules for the post of Director and Medical Superintendent, etc.

The institute has its own recruitment rules approved by the competent authority.

Staff Reporter adds: The age of superannuation of MS in RIMS is 62 years as against 65 years of teaching medical staff and the Director.

RIMS: The next question that arises is whether an Associate Professor can head a department? In this regard, there is no clear cut rule provision.

However, in many medical colleges/institutes, HOD is rotated among the Professors & Associate Professors.

It is also observed that in respect of NEIGRIHMS, Shillong which is also under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Associate Professors are heading many departments.

There were instances in RIMS, Imphal where Associate Professor headed the department like Plastic Surgery which is a super-specialty discipline.

Therefore, in such a situation, a faculty of an Associate Professor rank holding the charge of HoD in a department like Biochemistry, which is a pre-clinical department, is not against the rules.

Staff Reporter adds: There are clear cut rules.

An associate professor can also head a department provided he/she has gained the necessary teaching experience required for promotion to professor in the specialty concerned which happened in the case of Plastic Surgery.

A single unit department where both UG and PG courses are conducted can be headed by a Professor and not an Associate Professor who is not yet eligible to be promoted to professor.

This important point was deliberately concealed.

No doubt an MS can take part or continue teaching in his former department but without occupying a post in that department.

This is done elsewhere to make up for deficiency in teaching staff and also to give him a chance to keep in touch with the subject.

But he or she cannot be counted as a teaching staff for inspection purposes by the MCI.

In NEHGRIHMS Associate Professors are heading some departments in view of shortage of the teachers.

But PG trainings are not approved there.

Despite letters from union health ministry officials he was holding the offices of MS and HoD Biochemistry simultaneously till recently) .

RIMS: The present annual PG students intake capacity in the Biochemistry Department, RIMS is five (four students for two Professors & one student for one Associate Professor).

The reduction of annual PG students intake capacity from seven to five is mainly due to voluntary retirement of one Professor.

However, this has been wrongly projected as because of appointment of one Professor of Biochemistry Department as the MS, RIMS Hospital, Imphal, which is factually not correct, said the RIMS rejoinder.

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