BHUBANESWAR: More than a decade after it became operational, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar, the first among six new AIIMS established in 2012, continues to grapple with a manpower crisis that is affecting patient care and essential medical services.
According to information laid in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, over 30 per cent (pc) of faculty posts and 25 pc of non-faculty positions have remained vacant at the premier health institution for the academic session 2025-26.
Of the 337 sanctioned faculty posts, 103 are lying vacant. Similarly, 988 out of 3,963 sanctioned non-faculty posts are yet to be filled up. The total vacancies stood at 78 for faculty and 1,110 for non-faculty in 2024-25, 79 and 1,602 in 2023-24, and 73 and 2,612 in 2022-23, respectively. Crucial posts like the medical superintendent are still being handled by in-charge officials, with no regular appointments made.
The persistent human resource crunch has had a cascading effect on healthcare delivery. Sources said the shortage of trained personnel has hampered outpatient and inpatient services, while diagnostic facilities are frequently disrupted due to unavailability of essential medical supplies.
Among the first batch of six new AIIMS set up after AIIMS-Delhi, the Bhubaneswar institute now ranks among those with the highest number of staff vacancies. AIIMS-Jodhpur leads the list with 186 faculty vacancies, followed by 147 in Rishikesh, 116 in Raipur, 84 in Patna and 71 in Bhopal.
Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav informed the Upper House that a standing selection committee has been constituted under the AIIMS Act to expedite the recruitment process.
“Provision has been made for engagement of retired faculty at the level of professor, additional professor and associate professor from institutes of national importance and government medical colleges on contract basis in new AIIMS up to the age of 70 years,” he said.
AIIMS-Bhubaneswar authorities, however, said creation of posts and recruitment is a continuous process. Several measures are being taken to expeditiously fill vacant sanctioned faculty and non-faculty positions, they said. The institute has 44 departments and 12 super speciality departments. It has so far treated 70 lakh patients in OPD and over two lakh in IPD.