Patna: Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) is facing concerns over its recently increased MBBS intake after the addition of 50 seats exposed gaps in faculty strength and basic academic infrastructure.
The medical college’s MBBS intake has increased from 150 to 200 seats, but the additional capacity has not been matched fully by the required teaching staff, classrooms, library facilities and other infrastructure.
The shortage has implications for both medical education and patient care at one of Bihar’s busiest government hospitals.
NMC Directs PMCH To Address Shortages
According to officials familiar with the matter, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has directed PMCH to strengthen its faculty and address gaps in infrastructure and other essential facilities.
The hospital administration is working to improve the arrangements following the observations.
PMCH is among seven medical college hospitals in Bihar where the MBBS intake was recently increased by 50 seats.
203 Faculty Posts Vacant
PMCH has 589 sanctioned faculty positions, of which 386 are currently filled, leaving 203 posts vacant.
The shortage is particularly significant at the assistant professor level. Of the 318 sanctioned assistant professor posts, 247 are vacant. There are also 101 vacancies among 175 sanctioned associate professor posts.
At the professor level, 38 of 96 sanctioned positions remain vacant.
The shortage extends beyond faculty positions. Of the 229 sanctioned posts for tutors, demonstrators and senior residents, 110 are vacant, according to the reported figures.
Burn Department Has One Associate Professor
The shortage is particularly significant in departments handling critically ill patients.
PMCH’s burn department has a 60-bed ward that receives patients from across Bihar. The department is reported to have only one associate professor.
The senior faculty member is also responsible for supervising the training of eight postgraduate doctors, alongside patient care.
Burn treatment requires continuous monitoring and specialist supervision, making adequate staffing important for both clinical services and postgraduate training.
Surgery Department Also Short Of Senior Faculty
The surgery department has five sanctioned professor positions but only two are currently occupied.
Several other departments, including skin, radiology, chest and respiratory medicine, anaesthesia, ENT, pathology and microbiology, are also facing faculty shortages at different levels.
The vacancies have added to the workload of existing teaching staff while the hospital continues to handle a large patient volume.
Professor Posts About 40% Vacant
Of the 96 sanctioned professor posts at PMCH, 58 are occupied and 38 remain vacant. This means nearly 40% of professor-level positions are unfilled.
Vacancies have been reported across departments including medicine, anaesthesia, orthopaedics, ENT, pathology, microbiology, biochemistry, community medicine and physiology.
The availability of senior faculty is particularly important for supervising postgraduate doctors, conducting teaching sessions and providing specialist opinions in complex cases.
More Than 3,000 Patients Visit Daily
PMCH’s outpatient and emergency departments receive more than 3,000 patients a day, including a significant number of serious and referred cases.
Departments such as medicine, surgery, burns, chest medicine and radiology face substantial patient loads.
The combination of high patient numbers and shortages of senior doctors has increased pressure on the available faculty. Specialist supervision and guidance for postgraduate doctors are also essential in emergency and complex cases.
Administration Says Shortages Will Be Addressed
PMCH superintendent Dr Rajiv Kumar Singh said the health department was continuously expanding facilities at the hospital.
He said buildings and equipment had been provided and that shortages of faculty and doctors in departments would also be addressed soon.
The immediate challenge for PMCH is to align its teaching staff and academic infrastructure with the increased MBBS intake while maintaining services for the large number of patients visiting the hospital each day.
