Beed: 150 MBBS Seats, But Staff Sanctioned For Just 50 At Ambajogai Medical College

Swami Ramanand Teerth Rural Government Medical College and Hospital in Ambajogai, Maharashtra, once a beacon of healthcare for rural Maharashtra, now grapples with a critical staffing crisis. Established to serve the needs of Beed, Latur, Parbhani, Dharashiv, and surrounding districts, the college has expanded its MBBS student intake from 50 to 150 over the years.

However, the number of sanctioned faculty and staff positions remains fixed at the original capacity of 50, causing significant strain on both patient care and medical education.

The state government's failure to conduct regular recruitment has led to the ad-hoc handling of several top administrative and clinical positions. Key roles such as Dean, Medical Superintendent, and various department heads are currently managed by in-charge officers, raising concerns about the quality of patient care and medical education.

For instance, Dr Shankar Dhapate currently serves as the in-charge Dean, while Dr Rakesh Jadhav temporarily oversees the Medical Superintendent position, and Dr Rajesh Kachare handles the Vice-Dean role.

The college, which now hosts 91 postgraduate students alongside 150 undergraduate MBBS students, operates under an outdated staffing structure. This has led to issues in overseeing sanitation, deploying the workforce effectively, and addressing patient grievances. The shortage of permanent professors and associate professors has also impacted classroom instruction and clinical training, with the institution falling short of the mandatory standards set by the National Medical Commission.

In-charge Dean Dr Shankar Dhapate expressed the college's ongoing efforts to fill vacant posts and secure additional staff support from higher authorities. This staffing crisis not only poses risks to the college's recognition status but also to the overall quality of healthcare and education it provides to the region.