Six new AIIMS struggling for Good Faculty

SIX new AIIMS are struggling to fill vacancies, with the Union Health Ministry not too hopeful about getting the right candidates for the 1,285 posts this year. One proposal being considered now is to hire retired professors up to the age of 70 years on contract as faculty. Last year, a total of 1,300 posts were advertised for the AIIMS at Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Jodhpur, Patna, Raipur and Rishikesh. Only 300 were selected and just 200 finally joined. At his annual press conference last month, Health Minister J P Nadda admitted, “We are not getting good people. Hum chalis-chalis logon ko reject kar rahen hain (We are rejecting up to 40 people at a time).” Each AIIMS received 600-800 applications on an average last year, which means only one in 14 applicants was found to be deserving and only two of three who were selected joined. The number of vacancies this year is only a little lesser. Bhopal has advertised 251 posts, Bhubaneswar 178, Jodhpur 204, Patna 253, Raipur 204 and Rishikesh 20