Nagaland Medical College Faces Potential De-recognition Over Staffing Crisis

Kohima: Nagaland’s first medical college sits on the brink of disaster. The Nagaland In-service Doctors Association (NIDA) warned that the Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (NIMSR) risks de-recognition by the National Medical Commission. The facility currently runs an MBBS program with zero faculty in its Pediatrics Department and only one instructor in Pharmacology.

NIDA claims the institute has suffered from three years of consistent mismanagement. The association spent over a year demanding urgent recruitment under the Teachers Eligibility Qualification 2025 standards to fix these gaps. Officials previously tried to hire staff beyond sanctioned vacancies, a move NIDA argues creates unnecessary financial burdens and blocks indigenous doctors from jobs.

Administrative power rests entirely in the hands of a single Director-cum-Dean. This monopoly leaves the college leaderless during absences. NIDA insists the school requires six distinct leadership roles, including a separate Director, Dean, Registrar, and Medical Superintendent. “The State’s lone medical college was a matter of pride and deserved the best faculty and administrators to produce quality doctors,” the association stated.

The institute allegedly exploits its status as a ‘Society’ to bypass government protocols. Reports indicate that administrators removed Deputy Directors who attempted to enforce standard financial accountability. Meanwhile, the college has banned student unions despite NMC regulations that encourage representative bodies. These bans effectively silence complaints regarding mandatory uniform costs, poor transport, and expensive mess fees.

Faculty members are fleeing the institution. NIDA warned that without a total administrative overhaul and immediate, transparent hiring, the state’s medical education future remains in jeopardy. The association proposed seven fixes, including the creation of a separate Directorate of Medical Education and a full investigation into allegations involving improper pay scales and non-advertised appointments.