AIIMS, Rishikesh has 177 faculty posts vacant

Dehradun: 177 faculty and 3,575 non-faculty posts have remained vacant at Rishikesh, AIIMS for the past one year, was the information revealed by MoS, Health and Family Welfare, Ashvini Kumar Choubey to the Lok Sabha. Mr. Choubey was replying to a query by MP (Nalanda), Kaushalendra Kumar

According to the Minister, the department regularly advertises for the vacant posts.

The Union Health Ministry has sanctioned 305 posts for faculty and 3,776 posts for non-faculty members in each of the six AIIMS to ensure high-quality research. However, the data released by the minister on December 22 stated that all the healthcare hubs have over 150 vacancies.

In 2012, the Union Health Ministry set up 6 All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the cities of Rishikesh, Patna, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur and Raipur to provide improved medical facilities to a larger base of people. This was planned after the successful run of the Delhi, AIIMS.

However, the mounting vacancies in both faculty (1,150) and non-faculty (19,189) categories reveal that these institutions are way below the medical facilities provided by AIIMS Delhi.

Choubey said, “Depending on requirements, the institutes advertise regularly for the vacant faculty posts. However, as high standards have to be maintained in the selection, keeping in view the national importance of these institutes, all advertised positions could not be filled.”

Among the six AIIMS, Patna has 253 posts vacant for faculty members. Similarly, Rishikesh has 177 vacancies, Bhopal has 173 posts vacant, Bhubaneswar has 174 vacancies, Jodhpur has 166 posts vacant and has 208 vacancies.

In the non-faculty category, Rishikesh AIIMS has 201 posts filled and 3575 vacancies. Bhopal has 3,616 vacant slots, Bhubaneshwar (2980) and Jodhpur (3178). Raipur and Patna have 3,029 and 2,811 vacancies respectively.

In order to meet shortfalls in the 6 AIIMS, retired faculty of government medical colleges and institutes have been allowed to join, said the Minister.

According to a senior AIIMS, Rishikesh official, “Rishikesh is not a capital city so not many people are interested in joining it also medical students tend to join hospitals and work. They don’t prefer pursuing an academic career in an institute after completing their postgraduate.”

The institute has advertised for both faculty and non-faculty posts and by March many positions are expected to be filled, he told TOI.