No service bond for AIIMS New Delhi graduates, panel seeks tracking of doctors

New Delhi: Taking note of the fact that the medical graduates from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, are not required to undertake any service bond, a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health has asked how these doctors, graduating from one of the most prestigious publicly funded medical institutes, contribute to the domestic healthcare system.

The panel noted that AIIMS Delhi does not maintain any data on the current professional engagement of its alumni within the country. In this regard, the panel has recommended that the Department consider developing a structured database to assess the extent to which trained specialists contribute to the domestic healthcare system.

According to the Parliamentary Committee, this can help identify gaps in the availability of specialists across regions and inform future policy decisions relating to medical education, workforce planning and retention of highly skilled professionals within the country.

These recommendations were presented before the Parliament by the Department-related Parliamentary Committee on Health and Family Welfare in its 172nd report.

The panel queried whether any bond is filled by the students (Degree/PG/Superspecialty) passed out from the Institute to serve for an initial period in the country and whether any study is carried out by the Institute to record how many students passed out from the Institute during the last decade are presently serving in the country.

In response, the Department replied that as far as AIIMS, New Delhi is concerned, there is no bond filled by the students passed out from the institute to serve for an initial period in the country. Further, no data of the passed out candidates is maintained who are currently serving in the country.

Taking note of this, the Health Panel noted in its report, "The Committee observes that AIIMS, New Delhi does not require students graduating from its Degree, Postgraduate or Super-specialty programmes to undertake any service bond, nor does the Institute maintain data on the current professional engagement of its alumni within the country. Considering that the Institute represents one of the most prestigious publicly funded medical institutions and produces a large pool of highly trained medical professionals each year, the Committee is of the view that systematic tracking of alumni and their professional contributions would provide valuable insights into the national healthcare workforce."

"The Committee, therefore, recommends that the Department consider developing a structured database to assess the extent to which trained specialists contribute to the domestic healthcare system, identify gaps in specialist availability across regions, and inform future policy decisions relating to medical education, workforce planning and retention of highly skilled professionals within the country," it recommended.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that previously, the 'National Task Force on Mental Health and Well-being of Medical Students', set up by the National Medical Commission (NMC), had opined in its report that seat-leaving bonds and compulsory rural service bonds should be abolished.

As an alternative to the seat-leaving bond, the Task Force had suggested prohibiting such students from applying to medical colleges for twenty-four months from the date of leaving.

For the compulsory rural service bonds, the NMC Task Force had recommended transitioning it from compulsory service to a system of positive incentives such as paying higher fees for service in rural areas, granting grace marks, providing reservations in PG or super-specialization seats for completing rural service etc.

Also Read: Abolish seat leaving, compulsory rural service bonds instead give positive incentives: NMC task force on mental health