Commission Expected to Issue Formal Notice to State Health Authorities After Inadequate Responses
Dhanbad: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has flagged severe concerns over the acute shortage of teaching staff across five government medical colleges (GMCs) in Jharkhand, warning that the issue could adversely affect medical education and patient care in the state.
During a recent video conference, the apex medical education regulatory body conveyed its dissatisfaction to Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Ajay Kumar Singh and the heads of the affected institutes, expressing that the persistent shortage of faculty remains unresolved despite earlier alerts.
The affected colleges include:
- MGM Medical College & Hospital (MGMMCH), Jamshedpur
- Shahid Nirmal Mahato Medical College (SNMMCH), Dhanbad
- Phulo Jhano Medical College and Hospital (PJMCH), Dumka
- Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College (SBMCH), Hazaribagh
- Medinirai Medical College and Hospital (MMCH), Palamu
As reported by The Jharkhand Story, ACS (Health) Singh assured the Commission that the government is actively working to resolve the issue, citing ongoing recruitment through both promotions and contractual appointments. However, the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate, especially after the retirement of several senior professors, leaving many departments without academic or clinical leadership.
Notable recent retirements include:
- Prof. M.L. Jamal and Prof. D.K. Sinha (MGMMCH, Jamshedpur)
- Prof. Jyotiranjan Prasad, Dr. Makradhwaj Prasad, Prof. K.K. Lal, Dr. D.P. Bhushan, Dr. Anil Kumar, and Prof. U.K. Ojha (SNMMCH, Dhanbad)
Additional retirements are expected at MGMMCH by the end of June, further compounding the problem.
Initially, the NMC had sought detailed compliance reports from these colleges with a submission deadline of May 19. After finding the responses unsatisfactory, the Commission summoned both the ACS (Health) and Director of Medical Education (DME), Dr. S.K. Singh, for a physical hearing on June 19 in Delhi. While Dr. Singh appeared in person, the ACS participated virtually due to administrative obligations, which led to the principals and superintendents of the colleges being denied an opportunity to present their side.
Sources indicate that the NMC is now preparing to issue a formal notice to the ACS (Health) within a week, demanding a clearer update on compliance and faculty recruitment efforts.
Adding to the mounting pressure, MMCH Daltonganj recently received a show-cause notice from the NMC’s Undergraduate Medical Education Board (UGMEB) after it identified nine significant deficiencies in its Annual Disclosure Report (ADR) during an April 2025 review. The notice, sent in early May by UGMEB Director Sukh Lal Meena, underscores the broader systemic issues facing medical institutions in the state.
The ongoing faculty crisis not only threatens the academic integrity of these institutions but also poses a serious challenge to healthcare delivery in one of India’s underserved regions.
