Mumbai: The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), India’s premier hospital and medical research institution in Delhi, needs a quick booster shot. An acute shortage of medical staff and faculty members portrays the grim situation at what should have been a thriving hub of unmatched medical care and research.
Quoting from the findings of a parliamentary standing committee report, The Economic Times recently reported vacancies for 430 doctor positions and 2,109 faculty positions. AIIMS has 12,213 outsourced non-faculty staff. Ironically, only about 82 per cent of its budgetary allocation was spent until January 2025, the report added.
The committee recommended setting up a new AIIMS close to the capital to ease the strain on the overburdened institution. It also emphasized the need for competitive compensation packages to attract qualified candidates.
The government has not turned a blind eye to these pressing issues, though. From ₹4,523 crore, the annual budget for AIIMS Delhi was increased by 15 per cent to ₹5,200 crore in the last budget. Much of this allocation is for new equipment and infrastructure for new blocks, besides covering salaries and purchasing consumables like medicines. AIIMS had roughly 3,200 beds, as last reported in 2023.
Clearly, the problem is not a lack of financial resources. While all government-run hospitals are under extreme pressure to handle thousands of patients, issues such as a shortage of doctors and faculty staff point to unimaginable neglect in the efficient functioning of a public health institution.
While VIPs get easy access to AIIMS, thousands of ordinary citizens scramble for months to secure a single appointment with doctors. To gain entry into the MBBS course at this coveted institution, lakhs of bright students struggle for years. Ironically, a very high percentage of AIIMS graduates pursue better opportunities and settle overseas.
Surprisingly, these concerns are not new. About 25 years ago, a report from the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India flagged similar issues. The waiting time for surgeries ranged from 2.5 to 34 months, while patients in the OPD barely received 4 to 9 minutes with doctors. Given the swelling patient numbers, that consultation time may have drastically reduced.
Having set out on an ambitious journey towards Viksit Bharat (building India as a developed country), a critical need is to establish a strong healthcare system. Poor healthcare systems lead to a 15% decline in GDP each year, according to a 2020 report from global consulting giant McKinsey.
While rich nations like the U.S. are not ideal models, as they themselves struggle to manage spiraling healthcare costs, a look at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York—one of the world’s premier cancer hospitals—offers insights into a strong healthcare organization. In 2023, MSK recorded revenues of USD 7.3 billion and maintained a strong credit score, as seen in a recent Fitch Ratings report.
The Lancet Medical Journal’s Global Burden of Disease Study ranks India 145th among 195 countries. However, India’s healthcare access and quality index score has improved in recent years, rising from 44.8 (out of 100) in 2015 to 67.3 in 2020.
To improve further, India must start by making AIIMS an efficient and well-functioning institution. A glorious establishment founded in 1956 is now begging for attention.
