Why Did 429 Doctors Resign from AIIMS in Three Years?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- 429 faculty members resigned from AIIMS over three years.
- AIIMS New Delhi saw 52 departures.
- Reasons include personal and professional factors.
- The trend raises concerns about working conditions.
- Loss of faculty affects patient care quality.
New Delhi, Aug 12 (NationPress) In a troubling development for India's leading healthcare institutions, 429 faculty members have departed from various All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) across the nation over the last three years, including 52 resignations from AIIMS New Delhi alone, as reported to Parliament on Tuesday.
The information shared in the Rajya Sabha by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav indicates that these resignations took place from 2022 to 2024.
The reasons for these departures include a mix of personal and professional factors; however, the ministry has not provided specific explanations or conducted a thorough nationwide investigation into this trend. Among the institutes, AIIMS Rishikesh experienced the second-highest number of resignations, with 38 faculty members leaving, followed by AIIMS Raipur (35) and AIIMS Bilaspur (32).
Other significant numbers include AIIMS Mangalagiri in Andhra Pradesh with 30 resignations, AIIMS Bhopal (27), and AIIMS Jodhpur (25). Even newer AIIMS locations have not escaped this trend. AIIMS Kalyani in West Bengal and AIIMS Bhatinda in Punjab each reported a loss of 22 faculty members. Additional smaller AIIMS campuses, such as those in Madurai, Vijaypur, and Guwahati, also faced faculty attrition, albeit to a lesser extent.
The ongoing shift of doctors from public healthcare institutions to the private sector raises critical concerns regarding working conditions, career advancement opportunities, and compensation at AIIMS. The government's acknowledgment that both personal and professional reasons are prompting resignations highlights the necessity for targeted retention strategies.
AIIMS, established to offer world-class medical education and healthcare, is vital to India's public health system.
The departure of experienced faculty not only affects education and research but also the quality of patient care.
Without appropriate policy interventions, this trend could exacerbate, jeopardizing the overall integrity of India's public healthcare framework.