New criteria for the duty roster of faculty at medical teaching institutes were introduced by the West Bengal Health Department on January 3, 2025. These recommendations seek to raise faculty participation in institutional operations, improve patient care quality, and boost the effectiveness of the healthcare system as a whole. The rules contain a number of significant clauses that govern the duties and work schedule of medical professors.
In order to guarantee that faculty members are available for proper patient care and institutional responsibilities, one of the main provisions is the establishment of a mandated 42-hour workweek for all faculty members. In order to keep attention on hospital duties, the guidelines also limit private practice during duty hours. In order to ensure that they are well-rested and capable of delivering high-quality treatment, faculty members are also not allowed to work more than one 12-hour night shift per week.
The guidelines stress the importance of faculty availability outside of regular business hours, especially in essential departments like radiology and the central laboratory, which require faculty presence even beyond business hours. This guarantees that crucial diagnostic and therapeutic services will continue. To guarantee that hospital operations function well during the week, each faculty member must also perform Sunday duties on a rotating basis. This will assist in avoiding oversight and care gaps, particularly in emergency services departments.
Assistant Professors are now included in emergency, on-call, and floor responsibilities that were formerly performed by resident medical officers (RMO-CTs), which is another important feature. As a result, they will be more involved in the hospital’s daily operations and help provide patients with more thorough treatment. Additionally, faculty members are now expected to perform mandatory rounds in emergency rooms and inpatient departments (IPD) in the morning and evening. These rounds are essential for keeping track of patients’ development and guaranteeing prompt interventions.
Additionally, the standards restrict leave, stating that no more than two faculty members from a particular unit may be on leave at the same time. This step guarantees that there is always enough personnel on hand to manage patient care and other duties.
The Department of Community Medicine will have a general outpatient department open six days a week to improve accessibility. The instructions emphasize that noncompliance with these rules will be deemed medical negligence and may result in disciplinary measures. All things considered, it is anticipated that these standards would enhance the way medical facilities operate, guarantee better patient care, and cultivate a more motivated and effective medical staff.
SOURCE :
INDIAN EXPRESS
