Srinagar, June 28: Despite policy directives, medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir are yet to implement the rotational headship system, raising concerns over transparency, administrative fairness, and opportunities for leadership among senior faculty.
On June 22, 2023, the Health and Medical Education Department had ordered the adoption of rotational headship in various departments of Government Medical Colleges and Government Dental Colleges across Jammu & Kashmir.
It had ordered that in departments with a single Professor, the Professor shall continue as Head of Department (HoD), while in departments with multiple Professors, the HoD post shall be rotated every two years based on seniority.
However, a group of doctors from GMCs said even after passing of more than two years the rotational headship policy remains just on paper raising concerns in the medical fraternity.
“This policy, which proposes a two-year rotational tenure for Heads of Departments, was widely welcomed by the medical fraternity,’ the doctor said.
The policy was expected to enhance the healthcare system and ensure fair opportunities for all eligible and deserving professors to serve in leadership roles. “Notably, such a system has already been in place in other parts of the country for several years,” they said.
In line with the order, further department-specific directives were subsequently issued. On June 26, 2023, the Departments of Surgery and Radiodiagnosis were brought under the rotational mechanism through Order No. 173-45.
The Departments of Microbiology and Ophthalmology at GMC Srinagar were covered under Order No. 202-45 of 2023 dated August 2, 2023.
A separate promotion order for the Microbiology department—Order No. 547—was issued on July 6, 2023. Similarly, the Department of Biochemistry at GMC Jammu was addressed through Order No. GMC/23/809 on August 22, 2023.
The doctor said that despite the clarity of these directives, the rotational headship policy, which was scheduled for implementation on 23.06.2025, has not been put into effect by the Principals of the respective GMCs.
The doctors have requested the Health Minister and the Secretary Health and Medical Education Department to implement the rotational headship policy to make way for deserving professors to serve in leadership roles.
