6 AIIMS Bhopal doctors resign over Administrative lapses

Bhopal: Over the past year, altogether six senior doctors from four departments at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhopal, have resigned due to alleged lack of administrative improvement in the institute's departments despite repeated appeals for reform.

The resignations came from specialists in oncology, paediatrics, orthopaedics, and neonatology. Of the six, three doctors were from the oncology department, and the others were from the paediatric, the orthopaedic, and the neonatology departments. Those who resigned include Dr Sachin Bansal (Clinical Haematology), Dr Shashank Bansal (Medical Oncology), Dr Nilesh Srivastava (Surgical Oncology), Dr Manoj Nagar (Orthopaedics), Dr Priya Gogoi (Paediatrics) and Dr Mahendra Jain (Neonatology).

According to news reports, the doctors who resigned mainly cited poor functioning of the institute, including issues such as inflated medicine prices, the absence of a blood separator machine for the past two years, and a lack of progress in developing tertiary healthcare facilities for oncology.

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The issue comes at a time when the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recently sent a team to AIIMS Bhopal to investigate complaints about high medicine prices. Medical Dialogues last month reported that Bhopal MP Alok Sharma alleged that medicines are purchased at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Bhopal at inflated prices. In response, a team of officials of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) visited the institute to check the documents related to the purchase of medicines. The central team examined the documents related to the purchase of medicines.

One major concern was the cost of Gemcitabine, a cancer drug that was allegedly bought at a much higher rate in AIIMS Bhopal compared to other AIIMS in Raipur and Delhi. The MP said that he received a complaint that Gemcitabine injection was purchased by Bhopal AIIMS at Rs 2100 per piece, while it is being purchased by Raipur AIIMS in Chhattisgarh at Rs 425. In Delhi AIIMS, its price is Rs 285 per piece. Not only this, but the prices of other medicines were also found to be high.

Speaking on this, Dr Sachin Bansal, who was a founding member of the Department of Medical Oncology/Haematology at AIIMS Bhopal, told Free Press Journal, “The condition is the worst in the oncology department at AIIMS. The administration does not take our view seriously for improvement. The oncology department is an important department as the patients need special care. Even medicines are at an inflated rate. We raised these issues multiple times, but to no avail. We continuously sought another blood separator machine, but it has been pending for the past two years. I left when I realised that there was no point in seeking improvement, but ultimately, the patients are suffering.”

Echoing similar sentiments, Dr Neelesh Shrivastava (oncologist) said, “AIIMS should retain the top medical experts. Top doctors are leaving, and it is not good for the institution. It would be best if AIIMS could develop tertiary health care for oncology.”

AIIMS director Dr Ajai Singh told the Daily, “It’s not (unique to) Bhopal only…even in Delhi, people are leaving. It’s their choice, as the corporate culture is coming to Bhopal. As far as tertiary health care in the oncology and paediatric departments is concerned, I have already confirmed the same…it is our major thrust.”

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