Odisha govt urged to increase manpower in medical colleges

A chapter of a medical body has urged the Odisha government to increase manpower of both teachers and technicians at the three government-run medical colleges in Berhampur, Cuttack and Burla.
While the government plans to raise MBBS seats in medical colleges to 250 from the next academic year, teaching and technical staff needed to be increased proportionately, said Jayashree Rath, Chairperson, Odisha Chapter of the Indian Association of Pathology and Microbiology (IAPM).
The problems faced by the pathology and microbiology departments of different medical colleges were discussed at the annual conference of the association held at MKCG Medical College recently. The conference was attended by pathologists and micro-biologists from different states.

"The three medical colleges have only one professor each in the pathology departments. The number of posts of professors needs to be increase as per the norms of the Medical Council of India (MCI)," said Rath.
While the government has procured several machines for the colleges, no technicians had been appointed to run these devices, said another doctor.
"Vacancies usually arise because posts are not filled after retirement of technicians. There is an urgent need to appoint technicians in all the medical colleges to operate medical equipments as the flow of patients has increased many fold," Rath said.