AIIMS Crisis: 429 Doctors Resign Across 20 Institutes in Two Years

Swift Summary

• 429 doctors have resigned from 20 All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) institutions between 2022 and 2024, according to government data shared with parliament.
• AIIMS Delhi saw the moast resignations (52), followed by AIIMS Rishikesh (38), AIIMS Raipur (35), AIIMS Bilaspur (32), and AIIMS Mangalagiri (30).
• Approximately one-third of faculty positions are vacant across all 20 AIIMS, including a notable number in key facilities:

– Delhi: 462 vacancies out of 1,306 sanctioned posts.
– Bhopal: 71 vacancies (23%).
– Bhubaneswar: 103 vacancies (31%). Vacancies at other locations range between 20%-35%.

• Non-faculty roles like nurses and OT technicians are also facing shortages.
• in response, the government is taking measures including hiring retired faculty on contract and implementing a visiting faculty scheme to bring professors from national and international institutions for teaching purposes in newer AIIMS branches.
• A senior doctor cited higher salaries in private hospitals-up to four to ten times those offered at AIIMS-and lack of sufficient time for research as reasons for the exodus.

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Indian Opinion Analysis
the attrition rate among medical professionals at prestigious institutions like AIIMS highlights serious structural concerns within India’s healthcare system. The combination of high vacancy rates alongside ongoing resignations has implications for both healthcare delivery and medical education quality across the country. While measures such as recruiting retired professionals or inviting visiting faculty aim to mitigate immediate crises, they might only provide short-term relief.

A notable concern is the lure of significantly higher remuneration in the private sector combined with dissatisfaction over limited opportunities for research. Addressing such “brain drain” requires long-term strategies focused on improving compensation packages, fostering an environment conducive to academic pursuits, and ensuring adequate staffing levels that prevent burnout.

With nearly a third of critical positions unfilled across multiple facilities-including flagship centers-India’s ability to sustain its ambitious plans for expanding specialized medical care through new branches will likely face challenges unless systemic gaps are resolved promptly.