AIIMS to train 67 recruits for research

Of the 97 newly recruited faculty members at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), 67 young doctors will be extensively trained for research work by August this year.

Of the 97 newly recruited faculty members at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), 67 young doctors will be extensively trained for research work by August this year.

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The move is aimed at easing the burden on the existing faculty, which is overloaded with clinical work and barely finds time for research.

"We are looking at increasing our research capability. These young doctors will be trained by our senior faculty in latest research and technology," said professor AB Dey, dean research, AIIMS.

"It is to create an environment conducive for research and get back our pre-eminent position as a research institute," he added.

In the absence of regular faculty recruitments at AIIMS for years - the last standard recruitment had happened in 2005 - the hospital was facing severe faculty crunch and the doctors had been complaining of excess patient load. Of the sanctioned 625 posts, nearly 200 were lying vacant.

"Departments such as neurosurgery, gynaecology, cardiology, among others have seen a nearly three time rise in the permitted number of patients on a daily basis. On most days, doctors are busy completing paper work till late in the night. How will we get time to concentrate on research?" said a senior faculty member.

"We have a research budget of Rs. 5 crore, with Rs. 5 lakh grant assigned per researcher. Till last year, this number was Rs. 1 lakh," said Dey.