SHILLONG, Jan 6: MNEIGRIHS director, Prof Nalin Mehta said that the Centre is still investing in the institute despite the emergence of many other All India Institutes of Medical
Sciences (AIIMS) in the country.
“It is not true that the coming up of AIIMS in Guwahati is a setback for NEIGRIHMS. The central government has been very helpful and proactive. If this was the case then we would not have the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC). We have been receiving funding for many of the projects from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,” Prof Mehta told The Shillong Times.
He also informed that NEIGRIHMS is among the fourteen centers which include PGI Chandigarh, Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal, AIIMS, New Delhi and the other AIIMS in the country that have been asked to draw up a plan for setting of a 150 bedded critical care isolation unit.
When asked if there are doctors from NEIGRIHMS who are planning to join AIIMS, Guwahati, he said that it is true that there are quite a number of doctors who want to leave for better career opportunities and avenues and they have a right to do so.
“Currently interviews are going on in other institutions. There are a few who have applied for interviews outside. The results now are awaited. If they leave we will be slightly affected. But the departments will still continue to function,” the NEIGRIHMS director said.
He however stated that ever since he took over as the Director no one has resigned or left the Institute.
Moreover, Prof Mehta said that they are not looking at a crisis situation. “If people leave it will be in the next few months. We will definitely be losing our people. But we can stop them from leaving. As of now, I am not very sure how many are planning to leave,” NEIGRIHMS Director said.
Meanwhile, he informed that they are also conducting interviews for recruitment of fresh faculty members. “We will do our best to get new faculties and even the Ministry is encouraging us to begin the new recruitment,” Prof Mehta said.
Replying to a query, he said that so far there is no department which is facing problems in providing services because of a lack of faculty. “We are conducting interviews for junior and senior resident doctors. We had a good response. Now we have already put out advertisements for recruitment of faculty. Let us see how it goes,” Dr Mehta said.
Further, he informed that presently, they are facing a shortage of a little over 30 percent of doctors and faculty.
“I want a full complement on the number of students in the medical college and Post Graduates. I would need at least want 30 percent more faculty,” Prof Mehta added.