The Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences (KNRUHS) in Telangana’s Warangal district has been facing an acute staff shortage and financial crisis for the past few years, TNIE reported.
The university was established after the state’s formation in 2016, and several medical colleges in the state have been affiliated with it.
The report said vice chancellor Dr. B. Karunakar Reddy has been serving the institution ever since its establishment. Meanwhile, some sources suggest that the VC resides in Hyderabad and visits the university only once a week, posing a challenge to ensuring the efficient functioning of the administration.
In addition, out of 82 sanctioned posts in all departments across the university, only 28 administrative posts have been filled. Several retired employees were allegedly taking advantage of the shortage of staff by continuing to work as contract employees at the university.
“The government has sanctioned 82 regular posts for KNRUHS, and the majority of those posts cannot be filled through direct recruitment,” TNIE, quoting the university management, said.
“The university has repeatedly tried to communicate with the government regarding the shortage of staff and increased workload given the increase in the number of colleges, courses, and intake of students,” it said further.
The authorities claimed that staff from other universities and government organisations have not shown any interest in a deputation to KNRUHS.
Despite the staff shortage, the university is effective in conducting all the activities normally, as most of its activities are digitised, the report further noted.
After the bifurcation of undivided Andhra Pradesh, KNRUHS became the first university in Telangana to digitise all activities and functions effectively, despite an increased workload.
Based on the guidelines and regulations cited in the NMC Act of 2019, the medicine and health sciences institutions in the state and elsewhere function under the National Medical Commission, the university management said.
They claimed, “These establishments do not fall under the UGC’s administration. The UGC does not provide any funds to health universities and is not the statutory body for the regulation of medical education in the country.”
