Soon, autonomy booster shot for medical colleges in state

Updated on: Friday, July 08, 2011

If all goes as planned, some of the government-run medical colleges in Maharashtra will offer state-of-the-art treatment like the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi. The medical education department (MED), led by NCP leader Vijaykumar Gavit, has drafted an ambitious plan to grant functional and financial autonomy to government-run medical colleges in Mumbai (Grant Medical College), Nagpur, Pune and Aurangabad as well as the Government Dental College in Mumbai. The move will also help enhance the quality of education being imparted by these institutions.

“Five independent committees, headed by the deans of these colleges have been set up. The committees will comprise heads of the departments of medicine, surgery, pharmacology and neurology. If needed, the deans can seek the opinion of financial experts,” a senior MED official told TOI on Wednesday. “The committees will study the administrative and financial functioning of AIIMS and submit a comprehensive report on improving the quality of education and patient care at our institutes. We expect the reports in a month, following which they will be placed before the cabinet for final approval.”

The committee for Grant Medical College will be headed by TP Lahane while the panels for Pune, Nagpur and Aurangabad colleges will be headed by Ajay Chandanwale, RM Powar and KS Bhopale. Mansinh Pawar will head the dental college committee. There are plans to redesignate the deans of these colleges as directors, thereby empowering them to take key policy decisions. It has been proposed that specific budgetary allocation be made for each of the colleges for the appointment of teachers. At present, budgetary allocation is made in the name of the directorate of medical education and research (DMER). As part of the autonomy plan, the allocation will be made in the name of a college’s dean. “The requirements of each medical college are different. Once the proposal is implemented, deans will be able to allocate funds depending on the colleges’ needs. This will provide more stability to the institution,” he said.

The Centre has sanctioned Rs 120 crore each for the medical colleges in Mumbai and Nagpur as these have been included in the prime minister’s health programme. In case of medical colleges in Pune and Aurangabad, either the state government will have to pick up the bill or urge the centre to include them in the PM’s programme too. The official said that the DMER would continue to draft policy for the rest of the 10 government-run medical and dental colleges in the state.

Soon, autonomy booster shot for medical colleges in state

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