This story is from December 23, 2019

Chandigarh: Young PGI researchers rue lack of office space

Young members of the PGI faculty are being asked to focus on research without being given any room to do that in. Many meetings later, the problem is unresolved.
Chandigarh: Young PGI researchers rue lack of office space
The PGI keeps eight doctors in one office
CHANDIGARH: Young members of the PGI faculty are being asked to focus on research without being given any room to do that in. Many meetings later, the problem is unresolved.
Dr J S Thakur, president of the faculty association of the PGIMER (Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research) said: “We have conveyed our requirement to the PGI director and the Union minister of health and family welfare several times but they have taken no action on the request, so far.”
Many members of the faculty don’t even have a proper office space.
In some extreme cases, eight colleagues from the faculty are being forced to share one office. Dr Thakur said: “An office space committee has been formed to resolve the issue but members of the faculty have no place to sit. Research doctors still require 200 office rooms.”
The members of the faculty, those newly recruited especially, said that the PGI had hired many doctors in the recent past but not provided them with adequate infrastructure. A member of the faculty said: “New doctors continue to be recruited. The anesthesia department has more than 70 members of the faculty now. Where should we all sit? The administration should provide us with space first before doing any more irrational intake.”
The faculty association has, however, expressed its helplessness in escalating the matter. Dr Thakur said: “We have been pursuing the matter every month and sending reminders to the director but nothing has come off it.” Members of the PGI faculty have said that even thought the addition of manpower is beneficial to them, since now the workload is shared, but recruiting staff without arranging for office space smacks of improper management.
Another member of the PGI faculty said: “There is emphasis on us as young members of the faculty to carry out research. But we cannot go home and study for this. We need a proper place to sit and do research, as doctors of a prestigious research centre.”
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About the Author
Shimona Kanwar

Shimona Kanwar is an assistant editor who joined The Times of India in 2005. She covers science and health, and prefers an interdisciplinary approach. She loves simplifying science stories, sheering them of jargon to ensure enjoyable reading.

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