Eighteen new AIIMS Reeling under severe faculty shortage- Up to 78 percent posts vacant, reveals Health Ministry data

New Delhi: The recent data by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has revealed that the eighteen new AIIMS are struggling with severe shortage of faculty with an aggregate of around 44 percent posts of faculties are lying vacant in these institutes.

In the newly constituted All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), altogether 4,026 posts have been sanctioned, whereas only 2,259 posts of faculties have been filled in these institutes. 

Therefore, a huge number of altogether 1,767 posts of faculties are lying vacant in these new AIIMS, revealed the data shared by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar.

Dr. Pawar was responding to the questions raised in Lok Sabha concerning the number of faculties in the newly constituted AIIMS in the country and if there was any shortage of faculties in these institutes.

Replying to these queries, the MoS Health revealed the details including the student-teacher ratio in case of new AIIMS, total number of sanctioned, filled and vacant posts.

The data revealed that among the 18 new AIIMS, altogether 1,767 posts of faculties are lying vacant. The condition is worst in case of AIIMS Rajkot, where around 78% posts of faculties are lying vacant since only 40 seats out of 183 sanctioned posts could be filled up.

Condition in not good for four other AIIMS where there is more than 50% vacant posts available. In case of AIIMS Vijaypur 58% posts are lying vacant, whereas in AIIMS Gorakhpur, Guwahati and Raebareli 57.3%, 56.8% and 55% posts of faculties are yet to be filled.

In case of the newly constituted AIIMS in Raipur, Kalyani, Deoghar, Bilaspur, Patna and Bibinagar the shortage of faculty is less than 50%. However, around 44.2%, 48%, 48.6%, 49.1%, 49.5% and 49.7% faculty posts are lying vacant in these institutes.

The shortage of faculty is ranging from 34% to 39% in case of the five AIIMS in Rishikesh, Bhopal, Nagpur, Mangalagiri and Bathinda. In AIIMS Rishikesh, the total sanctioned strength is 305 whereas only 199 posts of faculties have been filled leaving 106 posts vacant. The total number of sanctioned posts is 305 in case of Bhopal as well and altogether 105 posts are lying vacant in there.

Nagpur, Mangalagiri and Bathinda- all these institutes have altogether 183 sanctioned posts of faculties. However, around 64, 65, and 72 posts of faculties are lying vacant in these institutes.

Among the 18 new AIIMS, only the condition of Bhubaneswar and Jodhpur is better than the rest. Among the 305 sanctioned posts in each of these two institutes, 231 and 228 posts have been filled respectively. Therefore, around 24-25% posts of faculties are lying vacant in these institutes.

When considered from the point of view of student-teacher ratio, Bilaspur tops the list with 2:1 ratio. Student-teacher ratio is also considerably good in case of Bhubaneswar (2.34:1), Jodhpur (2.97:1), Mangalagiri (2.94:1), Guwahati (2.7:1), and Vijaypur (2.37:1).

Bhopal has a moderate student-teacher ratio i.e. 3.3:1. Similar condition is in the new AIIMS in Rishikesh (3.4:1), Kalyani (3.14:1), Bathinda (3:1), and Rajkot (3.5:1). Apart from these, the ratio is 4.5:1 in case of Patna, 4:1 in case of Nagpur and Deoghar, and 4.13:1 in case of AIIMS Raebareli. This ratio is worst in case of AIIMS Raipur (5.29:1), Gorakhpur (5.4:1), and Bibinagar (5:1).

The Health Ministry data further mentioned that AIIMS Madurai has started MBBS course of 50 students with 8 contractual faculty and 4 faculty provided by AIIMS Mangalagiri.

Along with providing these details, the MoS Health also mentioned about the steps taken by the Ministry for improving the faculty strength in the newly constituted AIIMS in India. The steps taken by the Ministry are as follows:

(i) Standing Selection Committee (SSC) has been constituted in each new AIIMS to facilitate expeditious filling up of vacancies.

(ii) The upper age limit for direct recruitment against the posts of Professor and Additional Professor has been raised from 50 years to 58 years.

(iii) Permission has been granted for taking serving faculty from Government Medical Colleges/Institutes on deputation basis.

(iv) Contractual engagement of retired faculty of Government Medical Colleges/Institutes up to 70 years of age has also been allowed.

(v) Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders have been allowed to be appointed on faculty positions.

(vi) Visiting faculty scheme has been formulated to allow national and international faculty to work in newly set up AIIMS for teaching and academic purposes

(vii) Temporary diversion of faculty posts has been allowed on loan basis from one Department to another, which can be filled up on contractual basis.

(viii) Advertisement for recruitment with one-year validity has been put in place to fast track the process of filling up vacancies.

Medical Dialogues had last year reported that expressing concern over the numerous vacancies at premier institutions like All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), New Delhi and other AIIMS in the country, the Parliamentary Committee had called for urgent filling up the vacant faculty and non-faculty posts by expediting the recruitment process and framing of recruitment rules at the earliest.

Addressing the issue of unavailability of candidates who could fulfil the high standards demanded in the selection process, the Committee in its report had further opined that "a Centralized Recruitment Process would yield speedy and better outcome."

To view the details, click on the following link:

https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/aiims-shortage-of-faculty-193348.pdf

Also Read:Worrying Vacant Posts: Top Health panel calls for Centralised Recruitment process for all AIIMS