Faculties associated with different departments in government medical colleges across the state from now will have to take written clearance from principals of respective teaching hospitals before meeting health bosses at Swasthya Bhaban, health department headquarters at Salt Lake.

Dr Aniruddha Neogy, officer on special duty (OSD) and acting director of medical education (DME) has directed principals of all medical colleges and director of the Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research (IPGME&R) as well as SSKM Hospital to give green signal to teaching doctors before the latter visit officials at Swasthya Bhavan on different personal issues.

“It has been found that faculties of different medical institutions are visiting Swasthya Bhavan frequently on different personal issues, which is not matching with their duty schedule,” according to Dr Neogy’s directives sent to the principals.

“All the directors and principals are requested to notify their faculties to collect approval slips, signed by the heads of departments (HoD) and director/principal prior to their visit, otherwise their requests will not be entertained,” the directives stated.

“In order to get their personal interests solved, a large number of faculties frequently visit Swasthya Bhavan during office hours, affecting healthcare services in medical colleges. They meet officials at the health headquarters regularly for three or four days every week. We want to stop this practice that hampers patient care,” Dr Neogy told The Statesman on Tuesday.

“We have no problem if medical teachers come to the headquarters to discuss issues related to development of public healthcare services. None of us will meet the faculties if they want to meet us without slips signed by their principals or directors,” he added.

Sources in the health department headquarters felt that the move is to streamline a large number of errant medical teachers in the rank of professors, associate professors and assistant professors attached with 26 government teaching hospitals, who frequently flock the Salt Lake office seeking to solve their personal issues during office hours.

One principal associated with a state-run medical college in the city said, “It’s true that a section of faculty regularly go to Swasthya Bhavan ignoring their duty at the hospital. This should be stopped and I think all of us (principals) will sincerely check their reasons for visiting headquarters and sign approval slips.”