RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Mar 21: The Jharkhand High Court has been reprimanding the state-run super specialty hospital of Jharkhand, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), for the last two years for the appointment of doctors, nurses and other staff but the institute so far failed to fill the vacant posts.
RIMS was established in 2002 by upgrading the then Rajendra Medical College and Hospital (RMCH).
When asked about the reason, a section of medical and para-medical staff presented different views for the same though none of them was in a position to give any conclusive statement but the most common remained absence of proper recruitment rule.
“RIMS recruitment rules are not clear. It is an old institute where only assistant professors are expected to be appointed from outside while the post of associate professors, professors are required to be filled through promotions of an existing lot of doctors, unlike new medical institutions where an appointment is required on all posts. But there is no clarity in taking it. Sometimes advertisements for recruitment for all the posts are published while sometimes a process is started for filling the posts of associate professors and professors by promotion,” a medical staff said.
Another medical staff supported the situation saying at present interviews of existing doctors are going on for their promotions. “This time there is a plan to fill a senior position by promotion and teaching staff of preventive social medicine, micro pharmacy, radiology, pharmacology, orthopedics, cardiology, urology and ophthalmology. Last year the same thing was done without taking the matter to a proper conclusion. Last year an interview was conducted for promotion in the medicine, surgery, gynecology and pathology department,” the medical staff said.
“The interview for promotion was started after doctors showed resentment after they realized that advertisements were published for appointment on all posts,” the medical staff added.
Another doctor said, “In some departments, there are posts of assistant professors, associate professors, additional professors and professors while in some departments, posts of additional professors are missing. Data available on the website of RIMS is confusing and it is difficult for anyone to know regarding its existing strength. There is a discrepancy in actual strength and website strength.”
A senior doctor alleged the RIMS director for the mess. “For the recruitment, the willingness of the director is must but the present director has no commitment for an appointment like previous directors including Dr. D.K.Singh, Dr. N.N.Agarwal, Dr. Sherwal, and others. The Director sent a matter of the roster clearance to the state in the matter of appointment on class 2 and 3 posts while being an autonomous body it was expected from the institute to get it done here only. Similarly, the institute preferred ad-hoc appointments though it has sanctioned posts for appointments and it could be done,” the senior doctor said.
Asked why the RIMS is facing the problem in the appointment of class III and Class IV jobs also. On which an insider said that this is due to no clarity talking about recruitment agencies.
“Sometimes RIMS appoints class III and IV staff by the process of outsourcing on the direction of government and sometimes it sends a requisition to Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission. Sometimes it behaves as an independent institution and sometimes it behaves under the direct control of the government,” the insider said.
Contacted RIMS advocate Akash Deep for his comment, he said that ‘the matter is under consideration before the court and some positive development in the matter will take place on the next date. Process of appointment of doctors has already started.‘
The matter was taken up last time on March 15 and the court deferred the hearing for two weeks.
