Peethaambaran Kunnathoor, Chennai
Thursday, April 11, 2024, 08:00 Hrs [IST]
The College of Pharmacy at the Madras Medical College (MMC), the oldest pharmacy institution that started a diploma course in pharmaceutical sciences in the country 55 years ago, is now facing the threat of losing its approval or at least face penal actions like cutting short of student intake due to non-compliance of the Pharmacy Council of India (PCI) norms and the TN Dr MGR Medical University rules, it is learnt.
In a recent letter sent to the director of medical education (DME) through the dean of the MMC by the principal of the pharmacy college, it was informed to the director that the oldest pharmacy institution under the state government is suffering and struggling to provide quality education to the graduate and post graduate students. Apart from the B Pharm batches, the college runs four specializations in the post graduate level (M Pharm). All these classes are handled and managed by 17 teachers.
For the academic year 2024-25, the inspections by PCI and by the university are due; mostly it will be done after the general elections. What is now most distressing is that several of the teachers are not qualified as per the education regulation rules of the PCI, and the existing recruitment rule was made 55 years ago.
According to sources from the academic community, PCI has mandated that the basic qualification required for a faculty member for teaching degree class is first class B Pharm degree, and for post graduate course, the teacher must have passed M Pharm degree with first class. Sources have alleged that, in olden times, when there was shortage of qualified teachers, pharmacists working in the government hospitals with B Pharm qualifications were deputed to the college to teach the degree classes, and later on they got regularized as faculty members for the degree course. Many of these teachers do not possess first class degrees or first class M Pharm degrees, however they continue as professors on the advantage of experience. This shows that the College of Pharmacy at the Government Madras Medical College in Chennai is not following the rules and regulations mandated by the PCI and also by the TN Dr MGR Medical University.
Secondly, the college has no regular principal and the charge is given to a professor of a department. This phenomenon has been happening for the last several decades. It is alleged that the government is unwilling to create a post of principal for administrative purposes and to look after examination research, regulation and other academic related activities. The faculties want the government to create the post of principal at the earliest and it has to be a promotional prost from the professor cadre.
Thirdly, the teaching faculties are worrying mostly for not creating promotional cadres. Even the most qualified and experienced teachers are also working in the cadre of Assistant or Association professors.
In addition to all these, the grave problem that affects the very existence of the institution is the lack of adequate teachers. The government is neither appointing the sufficient staff including professors in all the departments to fulfill the sanctioned strength nor creating any additional post. Filling up of the vacant post of professors and associate professors is critical for approval and affiliation by regulatory bodies like PCI and the Tamil Nadu Dr.MGR Medical University. The present strength of faculties was fixed 55 years ago and that still continues without any amendment.
In anonymity a faculty member of the college told Pharmabiz that soon after the election is over, the inspections by the PCI and the University will take place. Currently, the college is facing insufficient number of teaching faculties as per the norms of the PCI. The reason he cites for the staff crunch including administrative staff is the apathy of the government. He said, despite repeated requests by the academic community and the alumni associations, the authorities are keeping mum on the issue, and that too for the last half a century.
The post of professor is vacant in the departments of pharmaceutics and in pharmacology for more than five years, whereas six posts of associate professors are vacant for more than nine years. Today the college has only 17 teaching faculties both for B Pharm and for M Pharm (4 specializations). As per the PCI rules, for B Pharm course alone, 19 teachers are required and for M Pharm 16 faculties are needed. The college’s sanctioned strength of teaching faculties is only 27, out of which 10 is lacking. As per the regulators’ norms, nine more posts need to be created.
Meanwhile, Pharmabiz has tried to take the response of the DME, but his office has informed that since the officers have to adhere to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for the general elections he is unable to comment on the issue.
Meanwhile, Additional Chief Secretary, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, who is holding the charge of Principal Secretary for Health, said that the government will positively consider the issues and try to resolve them after the election is over. He said the officers like DME are barred from commenting on issues related to the government because of the election.
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