Recruitment Rules Amended: Now doctors from other hospitals can become Medical Superintendent at AIIMS
New Delhi: Amending its recruitment rules, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi has now opened the doors for doctors belonging to other hospitals to apply for the post of medical superintendent (MS) on deputation basis.
While previously only a faculty member would get appointed for the post through a direct mode, now the amended provisions allow the premier institute for hiring doctors for the position from other institutes as well.
Issuing an order in this regard, Dr Sanjay Kumar Arya, Professor and in-charge of Faculty Cell of AIIMS, has clarified that the MS on deputation basis will be appointed for a period of up to five years. Initially, the appointed will be made for three years and thereafter it can be extended up to two years.
In order to apply for the post of medical superintendent, a candidate needs to have 14 years of teaching or research experience after obtaining the postgraduate qualification in the specialty or the Master's Degree in Hospital Administration. Of the 14 years of teaching and research, at least seven years should be spent in the administration of a major hospital in a senior position.
This has come as a surprise for the faculty members and doctors of the premier hospital because previously AIIMS doctors used to be sent to other institutes for taking charge on deputation.
Referring to this, a senior doctor from AIIMS told Indian Express, “Dr M Srinivas is one of them who was deputed to ESIC Medical College and Hospital in Hyderabad in 2016 before coming back to AIIMS as the director. He was the professor in the Department of Pediatric Surgery here.”
Meanwhile, the amendments to the recruitment rules have been criticised by a few doctors as they expressed their concern that it might increase the chances of favouritism. Some senior doctors have even pointed out that due process has not been followed as approval from the government body (GB) and the institute body (IB) is required for amending the rules for recruitment of such crucial positions.
While commenting on the matter, a doctor from the institute added, “The move is set to reduce the autonomy of the institute as it will increase the chances of outside control.”
However, some of the doctors were of the opinion that everything depends on the person who will be appointed as the next MS. They opined that if the new MS comes on deputation basis, there will be more transparency.
“An outsider is expected to be fair in dealing with the day-to-day affairs of the institute and other responsibilities,” added another doctor.
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