The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), a medical association in the country, has drawn the Government’s attention to the acute shortage of regular faculty members in medical colleges and health institutions and has urged it to take steps to fill the posts with regular faculty members instead of banking on the contractual and ad-hoc staff. In a meeting with Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday, representatives from the FORDA pointed out that there has been a significant shortage of vacancies for regular posts in key clinical branches such as orthopaedics, medicine, and surgery.

These positions are typically filled through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) process. Alarmingly, this shortage has been ongoing for up to four years, they said.

Earlier in a letter to the Minister, they flagged concern that as a result of the persistent shortage of regular faculty members, medical institutions have increasingly turned to contractual and ad hoc recruitment practices.

The Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), a medical association in the country, has drawn the Government’s attention to the acute shortage of regular faculty members in medical colleges and health institutions and has urged it to take steps to fill the posts with regular faculty members instead of banking on the contractual and ad-hoc staff.

In a meeting with Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Monday, representatives from the FORDA pointed out that there has been a significant shortage of vacancies for regular posts in key clinical branches such as orthopaedics, medicine, and surgery. These positions are typically filled through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) process. Alarmingly, this shortage has been ongoing for up to four years, they said.

Earlier in a letter to the Minister, they flagged concern that as a result of the persistent shortage of regular faculty members, medical institutions have increasingly turned to contractual and ad hoc recruitment practices.

“While this approach may provide a short-term solution to staff shortages, FORDA warns that it replaces the opportunities for regular, secure recruitment. The association argues that this situation is not only detrimental to the resident doctors who are seeking secure employment but also threatens the quality and continuity of medical institutions,” said the letter signed by  FORDA President, General Secretary and Vice President Dr Aviral Mathur, Dr Sarvesh Pandey and Dr Anuj Aggarwal respectively.

FORDA also urged the Health Minister to conduct a comprehensive survey to evaluate the status of vacant and contractually filled seats in medical colleges and hospitals. Following this survey, the association asserts that it is imperative for the UPSC to publish a seat matrix. This would provide a clear and transparent overview of the vacancies that need to be filled and would help to streamline the recruitment process.

The FORDA has also insisted on a holistic approach to address infrastructure constraints in hospitals. The association said that solutions should not be driven merely by convenience but should take into account the broader picture, including the future of medical professionals and the healthcare system at large.

By doing so, we hope that it will lead to a more sustainable and effective solution to the ongoing recruitment challenges faced by medical institutions in the country, said Dr Pandey adding that “We are also seeking bond free medical education, formation of Indian Medical Service, Healthcare Protection Act to check increasing cases of assaults on the doctors on job and risk hazards allowance for doctors besides increasing the tenure of ad-hoc doctors to at least six months.”