AIIMS Doctor Resignations: Exodus from India’s Most Prestigious Medical Institution Raises Alarming Questions

National News: The frequent resignations of doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), once regarded as the crown jewel of India’s healthcare system, have now become a matter of grave concern. According to data presented in Parliament, 429 doctors resigned from AIIMS institutions across the country between 2022 and 2024, with AIIMS Delhi alone losing 52 doctors—the highest among all. The institution, once a dream destination for young medicos, is today facing an unprecedented exodus.

Not Just Junior Doctors – Senior Leaders Too Are Leaving

This wave of resignations is not limited to junior faculty or resident doctors. Even senior professors, department heads, and centre chiefs have left the institute. Many of them have now joined private hospitals, where they reportedly find better professional autonomy and recognition.

• Former Director Dr. Randeep Guleria is now associated with Medanta Hospital, Gurugram.
• Former Cardiology Head Dr. Shiv Chaudhary has moved to Fortis Escorts.
• Neurosurgery Head Dr. Shashank Sharad Kale is now serving in Apollo Hospital.
• Several renowned doctors from ENT, Orthopaedics, and Neurology have also shifted to the private sector, marking a sharp blow to AIIMS’ reputation.

Why Are Doctors Leaving? Salary Isn’t the Only Reason

While lucrative packages in private hospitals are often cited, the deeper reasons lie within AIIMS’ own working environment. Senior doctors allege:

• Leadership Vacuum: Ineffective management and absence of visionary leadership.
• Decision-making Paralysis: Department heads claim they had no autonomy in crucial decisions.
• Workplace Politics: Rising favoritism and internal politics have overshadowed merit and experience.
• Lack of Respect: Even after decades of service, senior faculty felt their contribution went unrecognized.

A former department head, after serving 25 years, admitted: “When my years of dedication were ignored and my academic freedom curtailed, I had no option but to resign.”

Leadership Crisis and Overburdened Young Faculty

The resignations have left a gaping leadership void at AIIMS. With senior doctors stepping away, most of the burden now falls on assistant professors, many of whom lack sufficient experience to handle the workload. Young faculty, already under pressure and deprived of resources, are also considering early exits.

Rotary Headship Policy Still on Hold

One of the reforms expected to restore transparency was the rotary headship policy, which would rotate leadership within departments to prevent concentration of power. This model is already in practice at Oxford and Harvard. Though the Health Ministry had ordered its implementation in AIIMS Delhi and PGIMER Chandigarh by June 2024, the policy remains stalled, worsening dissatisfaction among faculty.

Challenges in New AIIMS Institutions

The crisis is not limited to Delhi. Newly established AIIMS campuses in Raipur, Rishikesh, Bilaspur, Bhopal, and Mangalgiri are also grappling with high resignation rates.

Key issues include:

• Poor residential facilities.
• Inadequate connectivity due to remote locations.
• Lack of civic amenities such as schools, markets, and reliable internet.
• As a result, more than half of professor posts remain vacant in these newer institutions.
• Vacant Posts, Slow Recruitment

Faculty recruitment has been sluggish. At AIIMS Delhi alone, between 2022–2025, over 1,200 faculty posts were sanctioned annually, but nearly one-third remained vacant. In 2025–26, of the 1,306 posts approved, 462 are still unfilled. This has hit not only patient care but also the quality of medical education and research.

A Warning for India’s Healthcare System

Experts warn that this exodus from AIIMS is not just about salary hikes in the private sector—it reflects a systemic crisis in work culture, leadership, recognition, and professional autonomy in India’s premier healthcare institutions. If immediate reforms are not implemented, AIIMS risks losing its status as the nation’s medical backbone, and India’s healthcare system could face long-term consequences.Unless policymakers address these structural issues, the exodus of doctors from AIIMS may only intensify, weakening an institution that has long symbolized excellence in Indian medicine.