63 govt doctors promoted as professors

Guntur: The state government has taken initiative to solve the problem of shortage of professors in government medical colleges by promoting 63 doctors. As per the National Medical Commission norms, one must serve three years as an associate professor to qualify for promotion as a professor. However, the government relaxed the norms allowing associate professors with just one year of service to be considered.

Accordingly, the Departmental Promotion Committee recommended 63 candidates from 11 clinical and 2 non-clinical departments, and the Health Minister Satyakumar Yadav issued posting orders on Thursday.

According to the official sources, the government promoted 11 doctors in ophthalmology, 9 in dermatology, 7 in ENT, 7 in orthopaedics, 5 in anaesthesia, 5 in paediatrics, 4 in psychiatry, 3 in general surgery, 2 in general medicine, 2 in radiology and one in gynaecology. Under non-clinical category, 5 were given posting orders in forensic medicine and 2 in community medicine.

As per NMC requirements, 74 doctors were eligible for promotion as professors. The chief minister approved relaxation of norms. So far, as many as 63have accepted the promotion. Among them, 35 have agreed to serve in newly established government medical colleges and 38 in existing colleges. The Health Minister has issued postings accordingly.

Several deputy directors in the Health Department had been waiting for promotion for 18–20 years. Despite rules stating that two years of DD service makes one eligible for Joint Director promotion. With the intervention of Minister Satyakumar Yadav, promotions were finally granted to seven DDs on Thursday. They will continue to serve in their existing locations as JDs.

In the Drugs Control Department, two Deputy Directors were also promoted as Joint Directors. Rajabhanu has been posted at headquarters, and Panduranga Prasad has been posted in Visakhapatnam.