ACHE: Patna Dental College and Hospital. Telegraph picture

Patna, Aug. 18: Dentists of Patna Dental College and Hospital (PDCH), who relieve patients of toothache, are crying hoarse over non-payment of salary for the past two months.

Sources said the teaching and non-teaching employees of the government-run dental hub have not received their salaries because of the lackadaisical attitude of the state health department.

Two months ago, Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) principal Dr N.P. Yadav was given the additional charge of PDCH principal. Yadav, however, was not given any financial powers. As a result, equipment that the dental college was supposed to acquire this fiscal are yet to be purchased. The salaries of employees, too, have not been disbursed.

Yadav was given the additional charge following a directive from the high court.

“A senior professor had filed a case against the previous principal, Dr D.K. Singh. The professor claimed that he ought to be the principal rather than Singh on the basis of seniority. The court passed an interim order in the case and ruled that the PMCH principal should be given the additional charge of the dental hub till the time a final judgment in the case is pronounced,” said a source.

Yadav said 25 teachers and 45 other employees of the hospital could not be given salaries, as he did not have drawing and dispersing powers yet.

“There is allotment to pay salaries and buy equipment for the current fiscal. However, I cannot withdraw the funds and no transactions can be carried out till I am given the powers to draw and disburse funds, in writing. If the purchase of new equipment is not made, the money will return to state treasury unused,” said Yadav.

He added that he had already written a letter to the health department about the delay on its part and how it was a cause of immense trouble to the employees, students and patients at the centre.

“However, we have got no response from the department yet,” said Yadav.

Sources said the new crisis is a major setback for the dental hub that got the permission to admit students from Dental Council of India (DCI) this year. PDCH was denied the permission last year even after a list of qualifying students was published because of a shortage of faculty.

This year, the central body gave the green light to PDCH after faculty members were recruited.

“At present, only 25 faculty members have been posted against the sanctioned strength of 49. Four professors, eight readers and 11 teachers were recruited last year. The faculty is still short of the required strength. However, admissions are on for the current session after the dental college got permission from the Union government,” said a source.