A debate has cropped up over the resignation letter of the superintendent of the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH), Dr Maitrayee Kar, which she has sent to the health department.

There have been allegations that a section of doctors, who are not directly involved with the NBMCH, have become active in their efforts to remove Dr Kar from her post over questions that the Medical Council of India (MCI) had raised on whether she has the administrative experience of 10 years required for her to be at the NBMCH helm.

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The MCI had raised such a concern when its team was at the NBMCH on 21 February to look into the infrastructure at the college for the admission of 150 MBBS seats for the academic session of 2018-2019.

The MCI had slashed 50 of the 150 MBBS seats here in the last academic session (2017-18), citing inadequate infrastructure. Dr Kar, who has sent her resignation letter to the director of medical education (DME) on 26 February and the department of health and family welfare, had taken charge as the medical superintendent on 27 December, 2016.

She has been the dean of students’ affairs of the NBMCH since 2014. She held the post of the superintendent of the women’s hostel of the same institution before that.

“I have sent my resignation letter. I worked for the development of the NBMCH, raising my head high, and never compromised. If I could be the reason for the NBMCH not getting approval for the 150 seats, then there is no point in staying in the post,” she said.

DME, Dr Debasis Bhattacharya, however, said he is yet to receive the resignation letter. The e-tender, gradation of Group D employees, emergency observation centre, a round-the-clock operation of central laboratories, the indoor facility at the psychiatry ward, beautification of the campus, and some other development work were introduced during Dr Kar’s tenure, NBMCH officials said.

The president of the Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) Susrutanagar unit and director of the Regional Blood Transfusion Centre at the NBMCH, Dr Mridumay Das, said the post of the medical super was like a “chair of thorns,” and that many are not keen on holding the post.

“Focus should be laid on the development of the premier health institution. I found her performing duties efficiently,” Dr Das said. A section of employees feel that Dr Kar should not have sent the resignation letter.

“It appears that she took the issue emotionally. Being an administrator, she should have dealt with the issue more professionally and not tendering her resignation,” an employee said.

Sources said there many such superintendents of medical colleges across the state who do not have the 10- year experience that the MCI talked about.