Only 40 doctors are employed at AIIMS Rajkot despite a sanctioned strength of 183, according to data shared by Bharti Pravin Pawar, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare. Vacancies in faculty member positions are up to 78 percent.
Apart from the first AIIMS in Delhi, there is an average vacancy rate of 45.7% for faculty positions across the 18 AIIMS. According to the data, AIIMS Bhubaneswar has the least number of vacant positions (74, 24.26 percent).
The minister stated in a written reply that the government had approved adequate faculty posts for all newly created AIIMS to teach MBBS students.
According to her, a standing selection committee has been established at each of the new AIIMS in order to facilitate the selection process.
It has been decided to raise the upper age limit for direct recruitment of professors and additional professors from 50 to 58 years, as well as to allow serving faculty from other government medical colleges to come on deputation.
To ensure adequate staffing, the Minister has permitted the contract hiring of retired faculty from government medical colleges up to the age of 70 years, the appointment of Indian citizens abroad, and the re-routing of staff between departments.
In accordance with the data presented in Parliament, AIIMS Bilaspur has the best student-teacher ratio, with one teacher per two students. In contrast, AIIMS Gorakhpur has the worst ratio, with one teacher per 5.4 students.
Across the new AIIMS, there has been a longstanding shortage of faculty. As a matter of fact, a parliamentary standing committee had highlighted AIIMS Delhi’s 275 vacant assistant professorships and 92 vacant professorships earlier this year.
Additionally, the committee noted that SC/ST candidates were disproportionately hired for these positions.
