The Medical Council of India (MCI) has sought the help of health universities and the State Medical Council, a statutory body, to put an end to the menace of “ghost teachers” in medical colleges.
Overcoming shortage
To overcome the shortage of the prescribed staff for getting MCI permission to admit students or to enhance student intake, some medical colleges resort to a trick: get retired teachers or those working in other medical colleges temporarily enrolled as their staff, particularly during the visit of MCI teams.
And these teachers are known in medical college circles as “ghost teachers”.
Although the MCI deals sternly with such practice, the menace continues to wreak havoc on the system. Medical colleges, particularly the new ones, find it difficult to get qualified teaching faculty as prescribed by the MCI due to two reasons: one, severe shortage of qualified teaching staff in the country and two, exorbitant remunerations demanded by those with the prescribed qualification.
Hence, colleges employ “ghost teachers” on a temporary basis, especially during the visits of MCI teams, by paying them a fixed amount.
Sources in the Karnataka State Medical Council confirmed the communication from the MCI in this connection. They said that it would be difficult for the council to keep a check on medical colleges employing “ghost teachers” and that the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health University, which has all the facilities, including human resources, was better placed to tackle the situation.
‘Retired teaches or those working in other colleges are temporarily enrolled during visit of MCI teams’
Shortage of qualified staff and the high remunerations sought by teachers blamed for the situation
