Postgraduate students and Interns of the National Institute of Homoeopathy are on strike and agitation since few days.
SIMILIMA team publishing the arguments and facts from both side – Let us have a creative discussion to solve the problems at the one and only national institute of Homoeopathy
“The interns & PGs of NIH at the same time running a parallel OPD, so that patient care facilities is not going to be hampered” – Agitators
From the students side
- Though NIH is a central govt. run institute & a huge amount of grant is being sanctioned regularly for its smooth functioning but it is unfortunate that the administration cannot provide the minimum facilities for the proper care of the patient.
- Astonished to know that the minimum health care facilities , like- (a) instrument for measuring blood pressure in most of the OPDs are not functioning properly (b) non-availability of weighing machines in most of the OPDs (c) no proper examination room.
- Most of the pathological tests are not done here, the quality of radiological investigations are very poor & USG facility which was once upon a time available , is not functioning for more than one year
- Without informing hospital section our leaves were reduced drastically from 23 to 15 for PGTs & from 14 to 12 for interns in a year solely by director.
- NIH is being in equivalent standard to the AIIMS but there is a huge disparity faced by the interns & PGTs regarding the stipend. We are getting less than half the stipend in comparison to AIIMS. We had already notified this issue repeatedly to the Director of NIH and Joint secretary of Dept. of AYUSH New Delhi but till date we had not received any positive response from these authorities.
- NIH being the only central institute in Homoeopathy had no house staff till date. Without one year house staff as per gazette we are not eligible for applying in MO & RMO posts.
- We need permanent enclosure of BHMS degree of WBUHS in second schedule of Homoeopathic Central Council Act 1973 as early as possible.
- We are living in a very horrifying and insecure state of condition in the PG Hostel campus as our director denied us to provide minimum facilities of our living.
- We have to work about 60 hours in a week even without getting minimum interval after 12 hours of night duty though in parallel institute doctors usually have day off after night duty.
- All the original documents regarding our academic career have been submitted to the authority of NIH at the time of our admission, against which no receipt has been given to us till date. We had repeatedly asked for the receipt from the Director & PG co-ordinator, but they not only repeatedly turned down our request but also said that if anything unfortunate happens to our documents they will not be held responsible.
- Even a small matter of issuing of I-CARD is being neglected for as long as 6 months after admission.
- Our Female Doctor Colleagues are feeling insecure in our own campus because they have to go more than 2 kms distance to reach our hospital without any official transport facilities even at night without any i-card of the institute.
From the other side
Many of the above matters are not come in the preview of Director but should be discussed and finalized by Ministry
Interns & PGs are using harsh insulting languages towards director
Racism – some students can’t tolerate a non- Bengali director
Even though Director entrusted HODs to discuss and solve the issues – students are not interested to solve the issues
Many PGs want stipend only…not interested to become a good postgraduate.
What next ?
We are requesting the authority, PGs and Interns to sit together and solve the issues for a better future of Homoeopathy.
One thing we realized during our visit to NIH – academic standards are deteriorating comparing to other Homoeopathic institute In India (Even though many great Homeopathy teachers are there) – because of the terrible shortage of teaching staff at NIH.
One Example – In CR department – there is only one permanent teacher to manage UG students and three batches of PG students!!
The largest OPD & IPD is the main attraction at NIH – Patients are coming from long distance even from neighboring states. So we must provide everything to the patients – a better treatment with all standard facilities including latest investigation .
National Institute of Homoeopathy is turning into National Institute of Harrasment/Hummiliation both for students & patients.
The institute hold the largest OPD & IPD in Homoeopathy field in INDIA, but the ground reality is that, they are not concerned about the suffering of patients.
Being such a premier institute they can’t even have basic investigating facilities for the patients.
Physiotherapy & USG was once available are now being shut down in the tenure of Director S.K.Nanda.
Govt had provide all the Grant for the betterment of Institute but the condition of the institute is deteriorating day by day.Govt had sanctioned the USG & Echocardiogram but these instruments are not in functioning.Repeatedly members of AYUSH visit the institute & know the situations but they are also not interfering.
There is huge lack of teacher in the various subjects but inspite of recruiting new staffs they are preparing to shut down those subjects.
If necessary action are not taken immediately then the authorities of NIH are going to create a huge damage to the NIH & field of Homoeopathy.
NIH means temple of Homoeopathy in India,but present situation explaining that no one can take its reponsibility,now only god knows its coming future.
let me also state that the p.g course in many of the subjects are on the verge of getting closed in the future due to the callousness of the director as he is unable to arrange sufficient guides according to the C.C.H rule for the post graduate courses.he is also not ready to retain the experienced physicians and teachers(who brought glory to the institute)after their retirement as guest lecturers and visiting physicians.The institute is already paying heavily for his obstinate and arrogant attitude.And we don’t want the institute to suffer any more.
If director Dr. S K. Nanda denies that he was not aware about the burning situations, the deteriorating hospital conditions then it proves that his mental situation is critical. I and many others almost every day ,informed him about non-availability of patient examination room, faulty BP instrument ,hectic duty schedule ,no sufficient chairs in OPD for doctors,no USG since more than 1.5 year etc but he was always tried to humiliate us publicly. Because we were aware of his attitude , that’s why we have also informed him officially on 31st jan 2013.After that we have also reminded him officially in march. The condition which could be easily handled with a tanker of water ,was amplified by attitude of director to such a explosive level. If director thinks that by hiding in IPD cabin without getting admitted to hospital and his drama will save him that is not going to happen.
The Doctors are neither expected nor used to use poor languages even in worst situation.This director don’t know the ethics & manners how to behave with professional colleagues.
If Director said that the protest is anti Bengali,its clearly reflects his sick mentality because being non Bengali does not give him right to abuse his power against students even to female doctors.And also all the students here are Indians and other nationals.But we have not seen any person with us who is Bengali/bihari/Oriya etc.
If director says that he is ready to handle the situation with the help of other faculty members it is not reliable because since the beginning he is continuously denied all the previous commitment made before H.O.D.s.
If director is saying that PGTs are only interested for stipend it is not right because at the top of our demands are the USG,pathology,better library,better faculty.The stipend is also among the demands but that is very bellow in priority.And if the director can get the central scale than why others should not get.Is there any answer ?
This Director has made NIH National Institute of harassment/humiliation.
i completely agree with dr.Rupesh Tiwary.The present director is very well trained to hide the real truth and facts and how to apply the divide and rule policy.He has the attitude of Dictatorship.He has the mentality of harrassing everybody and is very vindictive.if proper medicines are not available in the pharmacy for a long time,if the lifts and other important instruments like USG,echocardiography,sphygmomanometres,weighing machines are in a damaged condition,who should solve the matter??The head of the institute or the head of the departments??
As far as the remark of racism goes,let me state the fact that in the past most of the directors of the institute were non-bengalis.if students had no problem with them then why should they have problem with this person in particular??
and as far as the question of stipend goes,when each and every staff and faculty member gets a central government scale,whats the harm in demanding so by the pgts and interns??
if such matters, that have been demanded by the students and junior doctors are not in the preview of the director,but under that of the ministry,then our question is,why is the director not acting properly and correctly to get the things done by the ministry in a fruitful manner??
Its sad to here such a situation of a National Institute of Homoeopathy.It’s my dream to study homoeopathy from this institute,But now have to Think of it.Hope so Ministry look into the matter and solve it soon so that the value and reputation of the institute retains.