Reappointment of JJ professor sparks furore

MUMBAI: Some faculty members at Grant Medical College (GMC) are up in arms after the state government reappointed one of their colleagues, Dr Alka Deshpande, as a professor in the college’s medicine department just before she was supposed to retire on February 29.
The critics say that eight associate professors of GMC, which is attached to the staterun Sir JJ Group of Hospitals, were eligible for the post and have been left high and dry.
All eight belong to the reserved categories and are eligible by virtue of seniority to be promoted to the post of professor.
But the state government issued an order on February 26 reappointing Dr Deshpande as “professor and head of department’’. Hospital deanDr GBDavar sent the order back to the government for clarifications, asking how Dr Deshpande could be allowed to head the department.
It is now learnt that the government then altered the order to permit Dr Deshpande to continue as professor but not head the department.
There is a furore over her reappointment as the rules say it is only in “exceptional circumstances’’, when no other suitable candidate is available through promotions or transfers, that the government may reappoint someone.
“Dr Deshpande’s case does not fall in this exceptional category,’’ a hospital sources said. “Apart from the eight associate professors, there are several others in other government hospitals who are also eligible for the post.’’
However, a state health official said Dr Deshpande’s “reappointment is necessary because she’s working on a Rs 32-crore Japanese grant-in-aid project for the government’’.
On her part, Dr Deshpande said she’s only following government orders and is back in hospital.
“I have no idea why the others haven’t been promoted. But 12 out of 16 posts in state government hospitals are vacant at the moment. So there’s no reason for them to gun for me,’’ she said. Dr Deshpande said it was her hard work that got the state the Japanese project. “It’s natural that I should see it through,’’ she said.
More than 20 doctors have been reappointed in government hospitals, she said. “I have done good work in HIVand AIDS-related matters. So why should I be singled out?’’ she asked.