Lecturers missing classes, students at GMC allege

The academic training of the medical students at Government Medical College (GMC) is suffering as some senior faculty members prefer their private clinics to teaching in the class.

Students say at least two senior faculty members, Dr M M A Kamili, Head, Department of Medicine and Dr Muneer Khan, Head, Department of Surgery don't take their classes regularly. Besides, the classes in Gynaecology are also suffering.

"Dr Muneer Khan runs a private hospital. He comes to the hospital at twelve and leaves at two in the afternoon. When will he take the classes?" said a student interning at the SMHS hospital.

Dr Kamili, who also has a flourishing private practice, hardly ever takes a class, students say. "But when the exams are held, he makes sure that students don't get good marks," said a final year student.

Students in the pre-final year have not been taught a single class in Gynaecology in last one month. "You can't ask them why they don't take classes. If you do, you will be failed in the exams," said a pre-final year student.

Head, Department of Gynaecology, Dr Shahida Mir, however, said that classes are held as per schedule. "We don't miss classes like this," she said.

The Professors and Lecturers who miss their classes, students say, are mostly from Clinical departments. "In the two years of the MBBS, we are taught non-clinical subjects like Pharmacology, Anatomy, Physiology and the teachers teach well," said another final year student. "But the classes in later years suffer because they are mostly Clinical Subjects. And the Professors and Lecturers who teach them run private clinics. They don't have time for classes".

To add to the student's woes, the college library remains open only between ten in the morning to four in the afternoon. "From ten to four we are in the class. When we finish the classes the library is already closed. If we can't use the library what is the point of having it," said a fifth semester student. Earlier, the library used to remain open till six in the evening. "If the library at GMC Jammu can remain open 24x7 why can't our library be kept open at least till nine or ten in the evening?" he asked. The students also said that they have to buy all the books from the market as they can't take home a book from the library. "The General category students can't take a book home. Only the students who have got admission under different categories can take three books from the library and keep these for a year," a student said.

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