Retirement age issue: Faculty forum warns SGPGI admn of strike
LUCKNOW: The faculty forum of Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) has threatened the hospital administration to go on strike to protest its efforts to increase the retirement age of medical professors from 65 years to 70 years, said secretary of forum, Dr MS Ansari.
Now, the senior faculty members of the medical institute like Dr Sunil Pradhan, Dr RN Mishra, Dr UC Ghoshal and DR Amita Agarwal, have also backed the faculty forum’s decision. The forum has warned the institute’s administration of strike and mass resignation if their demands are not met.
Besides this, faculty members of King George Medical University (KGMU) had also joined hands with SGPGI’s faculty forum in the fight against the decision, said Ansari. The forum feels that the steps taken for extension of retirement age of a few doctors are regressive for young doctors.
Ansari said, “People who will be benefitted by the move are in administrative chairs and have drafted the proposal sent to the state government. It seems that a few senior faculty members who would retire in next few months are pulling all strings to maintain their stature. The wider implications of the move are being overlooked.”
Dr Pradhan said that increasing the retirement age was not fair. “Japan has the highest life expectancy but even they haven’t increased the retirement age,” he said. Besides, Dr Ghoshal said, “Even after 65 years of age if anyone wants to work, he should be re-employed. There are young doctors who need a chance.”
Ansari said, “A general body meeting of SGPGI and KGMU faculty was held on April 27 and all the members were of unanimous opinion of restricting the age of retirement to 65 years. The SGPGI faculty met the chief secretary of UP (also president of SGPGIMS) who promised to look into the matter.”
He added, “The MCI has provided the maximum age of 70 years up to which medical teachers can work. It has by no means made it mandatory to employ medical teachers up to the age of 70 years, especially when young faculty members are available for the posts.”