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India Today
4 days ago
- Health
- India Today
All is not well? 400 doctors leave AIIMS in 2 years to take private route
Between 2022-2024, 429 doctors have resigned from AIIMS across India to work in private jobs, the Parliament was informed recently. The highest resignations (52) happened in AIIMS Delhi, once considered "the place" fresh doctors would strive to get in. The startling numbers tell a tale of what is ailing the exodus is not limited to just AIIMS Delhi. While 38 doctors have resigned from AIIMS Rishikesh, 35 have left AIIMS Raipur, 32 from AIIMS Bilaspur, 30 from Mangalagiri, and 27 from AIIMS PROFILE EXITSIndia Today accessed data to find out that most of these resignations in AIIMS Delhi happened at the top level. These include heads of departments, chiefs of centres and senior professors at AIIMS Delhi from a faculty strength of more than 1,000. Some of the big names include former AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria, who took an early VRS and is now working at Medanta Hospital in Shiv Chaudhary, former head of the department of cardiology, resigned and joined Fortis Escort. Dr Shashank Sharad Kale, former neurosurgery head of department, has moved to who have resigned include Dr Alok Thakkar, former head of the ENT department and National Cancer Institute, Dr Sushma Bhatnagar, former professor and head of anaesthesiology (pain and palliative care) at Institute Rotary Cancer Padma Srivastava, former head of the department of neurology and chief of the Neurosciences Centre, and Dr Rajesh Malhotra, former head of the orthopaedic department, are other big names to have OF LEADERSHIPMost of them were nurtured in AIIMS and served here for over 3 decades. A senior doctor at AIIMS gets paid up to Rs 2-2.5 lakh a month. At a private hospital, the remuneration is 4-10 times India Today contacted a few senior faculty members to enquire about the reasons, one former head of department who resigned last year and has joined a private hospital in Delhi cited a lack of leadership for the situation."If it was about money, then I would have taken this step many years ago. He (director AIIMS Delhi) has created an environment of mistrust and inefficiency. This was never the case in earlier times. The director was looked upon with great respect," the former faculty member said."I felt stuck, that I couldn't even make decisions for my department. Decision-making had completely collapsed. Everything was stuck on paper. There was no positive direction or solution that was being sought. Day-to-day functioning was made so difficult that I, like many others, thought it was time to take this step," he of patients line up daily for affordable treatment at AIIMS Delhi. Long working hours, delayed appointments for OPD and prolonged waits for surgeries have become common place at AIIMS, where the entire system is always under former head of department, who quit last year, said, "We work day and night in AIIMS because we are committed to society and to the crores of people who seek AIIMS for affordable and the best treatment. This image has now changed.""Not everyone leaves for corporate jobs and salaries. Many committed and well-meaning people have also left AIIMS because of politics and favouritism towards those who are less experienced by the decision makers in the institution," he said on the condition of IN SENIOR POSITIONSThe mass exodus has left a vacuum in senior positions. This has raised questions about the credibility of a renowned medical institution like AIIMS Delhi."I still believe AIIMS is an excellent institution for young doctors. The patients will always come to AIIMS, but they will not get experienced doctors," said another former head of department. "The politics and severe lack of recognition even after 25 years of serving the institution became highly demotivating," the senior doctor have reached out to me once I took the step. People at the highest levels in the government are aware of the situation, but no one wants a solution. The institution's mismanagement was killing the medical practitioner inside me. I was not able to educate my students, nor could I function independently as a department head," said another former head of bulk of the faculty strength at AIIMS now consists of assistant professors. These posts require less experience and have more recruitment. However, without adequate facilities and support, even these young doctors tend to leave after a short HEADSHIP POLICYAnother point of contention is the rotatory headship policy that aims to open equal opportunity for faculty members to serve in leadership policy envisages more transparency and accountability in departmental functions, prevents favouritism and stagnation of leadership and concentration of powers in one system, which is implemented in prestigious international institutions like Oxford and Harvard, is seen as a way to ensure fairness and transparency in academia. Despite the Health Ministry issuing directions for its implementation in AIIMS Delhi and PGIMER Chandigarh in 2023 with a June 2024 deadline, the policy remains unimplemented and in are branded by AIIMS and have had a 30-35 years association with AIIMS. But there is no positive direction. The issues were raised at the highest levels of the Health Ministry. There is recurring bleeding and loss. But nothing is being done officially," said a former senior professor who is now working with a major private hospital in EXIT FROM NEWER AIIMSMultiple factors are behind the exodus from newer AIIMS. Inadequate housing, poor connectivity due to rural location, and a low housing allowance - owing to Tier-3 city classification - make postings also pointed out the absence of essential facilities such as quality schools, shopping complexes, and reliable internet. These challenges have left over half of professor posts vacant in 12 AIIMS Raebareli, 88 faculty posts remain unfilled out of 201, and AIIMS Jammu has vacancies for 68 out of 183 professor roles at the associate professor level, data VACANTThe alarming situation is that many vacancies have not been filled in the past 2-3 AIIMS Delhi alone, in the last 3 years, 1,191 faculty positions were sanctioned. Of them, 827 were filled, while 364 are vacant, government data 2023-24, 1,207 posts were sanctioned - 850 were filled and 357 were vacant. In 2024-25, 1,235 positions were sanctioned and 803 were filled, while 432 were left vacant. For 2025-26, 1,306 posts have been sanctioned and 844 filled, while 462 are vacant, as per a reply in Parliament.- EndsMust Watch
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Doctors, experts back govt stand on safety of Covid-19 vaccines
NEW DELHI: Top doctors, industry experts and pharma promoters have joined the Union govt in denying any potential link between Covid-19 vaccination and sudden deaths in the country, days after Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah said that hasty approval and administration of Covid vaccines could be the reason behind such incidents. Dr Randeep Guleria, former director of AIIMS Delhi, said there is no evidence of a link between Covid-19 vaccination and sudden heart attacks. Siddaramaiah's remarks came in the wake of a spate of sudden cardiac deaths in Karnataka's Hassan district in recent weeks. Pharma promoters who compete fiercely in the market all rallied behind domestically manufactured vaccines, including those for Covid-19 and polio. Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said such claims are "factually incorrect" and "misleading". "Covid-19 vaccines developed in India were approved under Emergency Use Authorisation framework following rigorous protocols aligned with global standards for safety and efficacy. To suggest that these vaccines were 'hastily' approved is factually incorrect and contributes to public misinformation," Shaw said on social media. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like La rutina de abs que necesitas [Descubre] VIDA FIT Leer más Undo She added: "These vaccines have saved millions of lives and, like all vaccines, may cause side effects in a very small number of individuals. It is important to acknowledge the science and data-driven processes behind their development, rather than engage in retrospective blame". Satish Reddy, chairman of Dr Reddy's Laboratories, Dilip Shanghvi, promoter and CMD of Sun Pharma, Pankaj Patel, chairman and promoter of Zydus Lifesciences, and Torrent Pharma chairman Samir Mehta - industry leaders known for their media reticence - each took to social media platforms to endorse India-made vaccines. "They helped end polio and fight Covid. At a time when India is seen as a vaccine leader, let's build trust in science, not doubt it. Public health must stay above politics," Reddy said in a post on X. Patel said on X that there are "other multiple reasons, like age, environmental factors, genetics, lifestyle, etc, that could be the leading cause of heart attacks in people. Several scientific studies globally and in India have conclusively shown that the risk of heart attack or myocarditis is greater after SARS-CoV-2 infection. It has been proven beyond doubt that vaccination remains the most effective and preventive healthcare strategy to reduce deaths and disabilities". Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA), without naming Siddaramaiah, said, "Misinformation and distortion of facts endanger public health and undermine the trust built on science and patient care globally".
India Today
03-07-2025
- Health
- India Today
No link between Covid vaccines and sudden deaths: Ex-AIIMS chief Randeep Guleria
Former AIIMS-Delhi Director Dr. Randeep Guleria remarked on the ongoing concerns of Covid-19 vaccines linked with sudden deaths. He said taht the studies by the Indian Council of Medical Research and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences clearly show that the young deaths reported are not related to Covid-19 vaccines."Covid-19 vaccines do have some side effects, all vaccines or drugs have some side effects, but the link between vaccination and heart attacks is not there. None of the studies have shown that. One of causes of the heart attacks is due to genetic background, lifestyle, lack of physical activity and a diet more in fat and increasing obesity, with more desk jobs. All this is predisposed to cause heart attacks in young people. There's no link between the Covid-19 vaccines and the sudden heart attack deaths," Dr. Guleria told news agency ICMR and AIIMS have conducted comprehensive studies confirming that Covid-19 vaccines are not associated with sudden deaths due to heart attacks among young adults, especially after the Union Health Ministry stressed the safety of vaccines, contradicting claims of linking vaccines to cardiac fatalities. The studies, carried out across 47 hospitals in 19 states, focused on unexplained sudden deaths among adults aged 18 to 45. Findings indicate that lifestyle, genetic factors, and pre-existing conditions are most likely the contributors to such statement came after Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah suggested potential links between Covid vaccines and the rise in heart-related deaths. However, the Union Health Ministry denied any connection, highlighting the scientific evidence supporting vaccine studies support the importance of understanding the broader health context rather than attributing these incidents to vaccines further address these concerns, a multi-centre study was initiated to investigate the sudden deaths of seemingly healthy showed no increase in sudden death risk due to Covid-19 vaccination, aligning with earlier findings by ICMR and makers of Covishield, the Serum Institute of India, also reinforced the safety of their vaccines, stating, "The vaccines are safe and scientifically validated," in response to the ICMR and AIIMS studies.- EndsMust Watch
The Hindu
02-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Air pollution is a greater threat than tobacco, says doctor
Former director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences-Delhi and renowned pulmonologist Randeep Guleria issued a stark warning about the public health crisis posed by air pollution, calling it a greater threat than tobacco, during an address in Hyderabad on Tuesday, celebrated as National Doctors' Day. Speaking at the event organised by the Indian Medical Association, Dr. Guleria urged the medical community to adopt the 'One Health' approach that integrates human, animal and environmental health. 'Air pollution is a silent killer,' Dr. Guleria said, citing recent studies that attribute 8.1 million deaths globally in 2021 to air pollution, a toll greater than that of COVID-19. He said the rise of non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disorders has overtaken communicable diseases as the dominant health burden in India, particularly in southern States. 'Air pollution is now among the top three causes of death and disability globally, and we are not paying enough attention,' he said. Highlighting how particulate matter smaller than 2.5 micrometres can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, Dr. Guleria explained its link to a range of diseases, including asthma, strokes, dementia, low birth weight, and even osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. 'We now have evidence that air pollution is linked to type 1 and type 2 diabetes, reproductive issues and even spontaneous abortions,' he said. He also drew attention to the disproportionate impact of poor air quality in Indian cities. He referred to a recent study covering ten Indian cities, including Hyderabad, Mumbai, Varanasi and Shimla, that showed a 1.4% rise in daily mortality associated with PM2.5 exposure, even at pollution levels below India's current permissible standards. 'This is not a Delhi problem. It is a Hyderabad problem, a Varanasi problem, a Srinagar problem. The entire nation is breathing poison,' he said. He also warned that current Indian air quality standards are far above what the World Health Organization recommends, and called for urgent revision and implementation. 'Pandemics are not rare anymore. In the last 25 years, we have seen two global pandemics and several major outbreaks. This is directly tied to how we are treating the planet,' he said. He concluded with a call for collaborative, multi-sectoral action. 'We need doctors, veterinarians, environmental scientists, urban planners, and policy-makers to work together. Without a unified approach, we will keep losing lives, silently and steadily to the air we breathe and the systems we ignore.' The event was attended by Indian Medical Association (IMA) national president Dilip Bhanushali, IMA Telangana president Dwarkanath Reddy and AIG Hospital chairman D. Nageshwar Reddy among other senior doctors.
India Today
07-06-2025
- Health
- India Today
Rafale fuselages to be made in India in boost to indigenous defence manufacturing
27:15 This episode of Health360 delves into India's rising COVID-19 cases, fuelled by new Omicron sub-variants like JN.1. Dr. Randeep Guleria, ex-AIIMS director, explains its symptoms and cautions for vulnerable groups. Dr. Arjun Dang discusses rising test demands and variant spread. The show also explores 'Disease X' and its potential impact on future pandemics.
