Healthy way: Patna Medical College and Hospital. Telegraph picture

What are the factors that have dealt a blow to PMCH's image as the state's premier health institution?

I refuse to agree that the image of PMCH has suffered any blow. On the contrary, the institution has, in the past few decades, bettered itself in terms of quality of education, increased the number of seats for both regular and specialised courses, improved infrastructure, brought in new technologies for treatment and provided patients with more facilities and medics with new resources.

Students passing out from PMCH are regarded highly in hospitals and institutions across the country and even abroad. I would say our institution is 10 times better now than what it used to be earlier. But yes, the number of doctors and support staff is less in proportion to the large number of patients we receive. It is true that infrastructure and the number of trained personnel at this 1,675-bed facility has not kept pace with the tremendous rise in the number of patients.

There is a general perception among people that the quality of doctors passing out of this institution is not as good as it used to be.

As I said, doctors passing out from PMCH have always made a name for themselves in various national and international cities. This is because of the quality of medical education and rigorous training that we provide here. But why single out the medical students? Has not the quality of students gone down in every sphere? If a society goes down on morality and character, the reflection is eve-rywhere. PMCH is no exception.

Just as all other educational institutions, there could be a few rowdy elements here too. And that's because of political influence. On a few occasions, there have been instances when some PMCH students have been accused of impersonating medical aspirants in entrance examinations. But because of that, the entire fraternity (of medical students at PMCH) should not be branded “bad”.

Medicine is noble profession in Bihar and elsewhere and we train some of the great brains in the business at PMCH.

Hostels for medical students have been a big problem at PMCH. What is the college administration doing to deal with the situation?

Yes, the number of hostel buildings and rooms is a major cause of concern. Besides, the hostels lack basic facilities. Public works department, building construction department and public health engineering department (apart from Bihar State Electricity Board) are the three agencies responsible for constructing and maintaining various facilities at the hostels. Lack of co-ordination between them is posing a number of problems for the students. There is pressure from the principal's office on these departments, but to no avail. Though we release funds to them on time, there has not been much improvement. I suggest that senior officials from these departments take the responsibility and make regular visits to the under-construction buildings or the existing hostels to find out the problems and expedite the work.

What do you think has been your achievement during your tenure as college principal?

I think I have been able to create an atmosphere of education in the college. Seminars, training sessions, continued medical education programmes have been very frequent. It is my duty to ensure that the teaching-training process goes on in the best possible way. This is possible only when there is a peaceful campus and studies and proper training get maximum priority. In the last one-and-a-half years of my stay here, I have been able to make teachers and students serious.

Like other institutes of technical education in the state, PMCH has been transferred to Aryabhatta Knowledge University (AKBU). This has created a lot of chaos and confusion...

We wanted that the college be transferred to the university next year. But as the AKBU Act was notified, the process had to begin instantly. It is true that there is a lot of confusion among MBBS and postgraduate medical students regarding examination dates. We are in touch with AKBU and the human resource development department officials to expedite the examination process.

About Dr N.P. Yadav...

I was born on February 11, 1949 at a village in Saran district. I come from a humble family. My father was a farmer and had a petty job in a sugar mill. I went to a village school for primary and middle-level education. For higher secondary education, I moved to Chhapra. There, I used to take tuitions to meet my expense as my father could not help me study further. I also used to get government scholarship. I did well in the Matric exam. I was selected for MBBS at Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital. I did my MD from the same college.

I came into government services in 1973 and joined the medical college in Muzaffarpur as a pharmacology tutor. Later, I was transferred to PMCH as an associate professor. Before joining PMCH as principal, I served as superintendent, Nalanda Medical College and Hospital, Patna and state drug controller.

What would you have been if not a doctor?

A politician. During my days in school and college, I was inclined towards politics. But now it is social work that interests me more. I do not have any immediate plans to get into politics.