50% faculty posts vacant in 19 new AIIMS
Recently inaugurated by PM Modi, AIIMS-Deoghar is short of 54 per cent doctors
NEW DELHI: It seems the government’s all attempts to appoint faculties and non-faculties for all 20 AIIMS, including AIIMS-New Delhi, has turned futile as there an acute shortage of faculties in all 19 new AIIMS, which are running short of 50.7 per cent faculty posts and AIIMS-Delhi, which is mentor of all newly established AIIMS, is facing a faculty shortage of 36 per cent, while 34 per cent posts of senior residents and 21 per cent posts of junior residents are lying vacant for a longer period in the country’s premier health and research institute.
In a written reply to a question raised by TMC MP Nusrat Jahan Ruhi, Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar on Friday told Lok Sabha that out of total 5,340 sanctioned faculty posts, including 1,131 posts in AIIMS-Delhi, 2,547 such posts are lying vacant, including 411 faculty posts in AIIMS-Delhi.
In case of non-faculty posts, 19 new AIIMS are running short of 50.7 per cent staff and AIIMS-Delhi is having a shortage of 17 per cent non-faculty staff that plays a significant role in patient care management at hospitals. Out of sanctioned strength of 35,362 non-faculty posts, 17,941 such posts are lying vacant in all new AIIMS, while AIIMS-Delhi has a vacancy of 2,119 non-faculty posts out of total 12,558 sanctioned posts.
In AIIMS-Delhi, which witnesses a record footfall of patients from across the country, there is a shortage of 653 senior residents (SR) and 295 junior residents (JR) against the sanctioned strength of 1,926 and 1,428 posts of SRs and JRs respectively, the minister told.
As per the minister’s reply, of the six AIIMS such as Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur and Rishikesh each having a sanctioned strength of 303 faculty posts, the situation of Patna is deplorable as the institute is running short of 173 faculties, which accounts to a shortage of 56.7 per cent, while Raipur has a shortage of 152 faculties, followed by Bhopal (102), Rishikesh (102), Bhubaneswar (77) and Jodhpur (76).
AIIMS-Deoghar, which has been recently inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has become operational without 53.5 per cent faculties as of the total 183 faculty posts, 98 are still vacant. On top of it, AIIMS in Jharkhand is running short of 78 per cent non-faculty posts as 797 out of 1,018 sanctioned posts are vacant.
Other new AIIMS have been established in Mangalagiri, Nagpur, Kalyani, Gorakhpur, Bathinda, Bilaspur, Guwahati, Bibinagar, Madurai, Rajkot, Vijaypur and Raebareli.
In cases of AIIMS-Madurai, the government has yet to appoint 175 faculty posts out of 183 approved posts, while not even single non-faculty posts have been filled yet.
“In AIIMS, recruitment to various positions is done on a need basis keeping in view the range of additional services and facilities added. The status of vacant posts at various AIIMS is monitored at various levels by the government and vacancies are advertised based on requirement,” the minister said.
However, as high standards have to be maintained in selection, keeping in view the stature of these institutes of national importance, all the advertised positions could not be filled up, she said, adding that 1,173 posts of SRs are vacant in all 19 new AIIMS, while 461 posts of JR are yet to be filled. The sanctioned strength of SRs in all 19 new AIIMS is 2,794 and 2,502 posts are for JRs.