SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Nov. 20: Dr. Arun Kumar, Principal of Phulo Jhano Murmu Medical College Hospital, Dumka has been appointed as the new Director of Health and Medical Education of state.
As per the notification issued by the additional secretary of the state government today, Dr. Kumar will take up the responsibility of the Medical Education Director in addition to the post of Principal of Dumka medical college.
This is the first time in 21 years of Jharkhand that a senior most teacher of a state medical college has been made the director of medical education.
Notably, Dr. Arun Kumar is the senior most teacher of all five medical colleges of the state. He has served at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College Hospital (MGMMCH) Jamshedpur, as superintendent and principal both of Patliputra Medical College Hospital ( now Shahid Nirmal Mahto Medical College Hospital) Dhanbad so far. At present, he is holding the post of head of the department PSM cum principal of Dumka Medical College.
Dr. Kumar said since the state government has assigned him dual charge of principal as well as director of medical education, he would stay three days at Ranchi and three days at Dumka.
“ It is the age of online working system so I hope there would be no problem in discharging my duties timely at both the places,” said Dr Kumar.
When asked about getting permission of National Medical Commission (NMC) for admission in Palamu and Hazaribagh Medical Colleges on 100 MBBS seats, he said that it is a major challenge for him.
Dr. Kumar said that he has not taken the charge of medical education director as notification has issued today only. “After getting the detailed information about the hurdles, Iwill try to solve it so that admission gates could be opened for the current academic session,”, he said.
Notably, three medical colleges in the state; Dumka, Hazaribagh and Palamu had opened in 2019. The NMC had imposed a ban on admission in these institutions in 2020. Lateron, Dumka medical college was granted the permission to take admission on 100 MBBS seat in current academic session but Hazaribagh and Palamu have yet to get green signal.
