Expansion is futile, says the committee for subordinate legislation without filling vacancies
Noting that the very purpose of institutes such as AIIMS is defeated by the high number of vacancies, a Parliamentary panel has told the health ministry to urgently address the manpower shortage in these institutes before planning on their expansion.
“The Committee are of the view that the institute of such high stature has to have not only sufficient manpower but also the most efficient manpower. However, the committee feel disappointed to find from the submission of the government that there are 245 vacancies in the faculty and 2025 vacancies in non-faculty staff strength of AIIMS New Delhi and 1303 vacancies in the faculty of six new AIIMS established in different states of the country. In this regard the committee note that off (sic) late, the AIIMS have given special focus in the past one year on the filling up the vacancies. As a result 300 additional faculty members and 1000 nurses have been recruited in AIIMS, New Delhi and 301 faculty positions also filled up in the six new AIIMS,” the Lok Sabha committee for subordinate legislation noted in its 26th report on the rules and regulations under the AIIMS Act 1956.
245 vacancies in the faculty and 2025 vacancies in non-faculty staff strength of AIIMS New Delhi and 1303 vacancies in the faculty of six new AIIMS established in different states
The huge shortage of non-faculty staff reflects the “flawed recruitment policy” of the institute, the committee said in its report. It asked the the health ministry to formulate a personnel policy covering optimum staff ratio, more so, with the coming up of new AIIMS. “The issue of manpower shortage in AIIMS be addressed urgently, otherwise the expansion of AIIMS would be futile because in the absence of good doctors and staff, the patients will not get proper and timely medical facilities,” the report said.
The committee recommended that a comprehensive study be done to address the cause of non-availability of doctors of high standards, may it be brain drain, comparatively lesser remunerations, facilities or shortage of undergraduate/post-graduate seats and colleges to address the issue for all times to come. The committee, also, noted that in order to address the shortage of doctors, measures such as increasing the upper age limit for the post of professor and additional professor in six new AIIMS and contractual appointment of faculty to overcome the shortage of faculty have been taken.
The committee said it was appalled at the “tardy” progress for comprehensive review of AIIMS regulations which forms the backbone of overall functioning of the institute. As a result, the review process which was initiated in 2006 has remained incomplete even after a lapse of 11 years. In the opinion of the committee, bringing out necessary amendments in the rules and regulations is an ongoing feature of good governance.
“Moreover with the increase in number of AIIMS to six and the plan to make the number 12, the review of the rules and regulations is urgently required,” it said. The ministry has replied that the suggestions of Balram Airan Committee were reviewed in December 2017, by the Governing Body, which proposed amendments to the report.
