NEW DELHI: The Centre may have set up the network of hospitals under the aegis of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences which is globally renowned for its remarkable health practices.
However, the premier hospitals are facing a severe staff crunch. Official data showed that AIIMS, Delhi and the 13 other locations where AIIMS is situated across the country account for 83% of overall vacant positions of doctors, nurses and allied staff.
In response to a question raised in Parliament, the Union Health Ministry released information on the vacant positions of doctors, nurses, and other support staff at 24 Centre-run hospitals. The data revealed that of the total 27,483 vacancies, 23,025 positions lie vacant in 14 AIIMS locations across the country.
In Delhi, AIIMS has the highest vacancy of doctors with 221 vacant positions followed by Safdarjung with 220 vacancies. However, Safdarjung has the highest number of overall vacant positions in terms of the overall shortage of staff, with 1,009 vacancies.
On a national scale, AIIMS Bhopal has the most vacancies across 24 centre-run hospitals. The healthcare institute in Madhya Pradesh has a shortage of 107 doctors from its sanctioned strength, while the figure for allied staff stood at 2027, official data showed. Safdarjung’s Medical Superintendent BL Sherwal said the appointment of doctors and other staff are looked after by central agencies.
“The UPSC hires doctors (clinical and faculty) every year. Similarly, the recruitment of nurses, radiographers, MTS, and other staff is done through different agencies. As far as the institute is concerned, we regularly advertise vacancies for junior and senior resident doctors,” he said.
Dr MC Mishra, former director of AIIMS Delhi, said the paucity of sanctioned staff creates a burden on the healthcare system. “All new AIIMS are running at 70% of the sanctioned strength. The issue is concerning as it may impact the whole system and lead to academic difficulties,” he said.
Dr Aviral Mathur, the President, of the Federation of Resident Doctors Association, said the resident doctors become the victim in this situation. “The burden of healthcare delivery and academics, which should have been managed by the senior doctors, is imposed upon the resident doctors. Many a time, crucial decisions, which demand a level of expertise that only a senior doctor can deliver, are forced upon the resident doctors,” he said.
