While the Governments decision to set up four more AIIMS is a welcome move, there is a strong view among healthcare experts over the need to focus on strengthening the existing AIIMS on a priority basis before establishing new ones. This demand comes in the wake of growing burden on the doctors of the existing seven AIIMS due to shortage of skilled manpower affecting the quality of services.

Though measures taken by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to ensure affordable and quality healthcare services to the needy patients through investment of Rs.5000 crore for setting up AIIMS had been well received, critics feel that the country lacks the manpower to supply such a huge demand. A highly placed source from the health care sector pointed out that, the government first needs to focus on expatiating the appointments of the doctors and other supporting staff in the existing AIIMS before committing to the new ones to ensure effective services.

It is understood that AIIMS Delhi alone caters to around 8000 to 10000 patients a day with only limited number of doctors available. This has become an issue for the patients as well, because they have to go through a long waiting period before getting an appointment with the AIIMS doctors especially in the super specialty area. To address this issue the healthcare experts are pushing for educational reforms that will help in increasing the number of MBBS and Post graduation (PG) seats in the medical colleges.

This they feel will not only help them in addressing the current requirements for doctors but will also help in addressing the growing demand for doctors in the wake of the Centre's decision to set up All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) across each state. Many strongly feel that getting qualified manpower to meet the increasing demand will come as a huge challenge to the government in the light of manpower crunch.

At present, there are about only 30,000 to 35, 000 MBBS seats and only 10,000 PG level seats available across the country, limiting the availability of students for the top job. Another big challenge that cripples the medical educational system is the lack of highly qualified and talented lecturers in these medical colleges, which effects the quality of the education.

Dr Shakti Kumar Gupta, medical superintendent, All India Institute of Medical Sciences pointed out that the only way of addressing this issue is by increasing  the number of seats available in the medical colleges, after analysing the current requirements of the country.

“It is very important step that needs to be taken on priority basis especially if the government really wants to realise its dream of setting up new AIIMS. As for the issue of lack of qualified teachers the government can always look into PPP model and explore the talent of the retired officials from the army to take up teaching on as guest lecturers. The doctors in the private hospitals are very talented and brilliant. Why we are not exploring the possibility of inviting them as guest lecturers or as urgent faculty members, to exploit their expertise for the benefit of the students and development of healthcare. Similarly the doctors from the Indian defense system are exemplary in their work, why not utilise their talent by re employing them after their retirement to be guest lectures in the medical colleges.”

Dr Gupta further pointed out that since the demand and supply gap is so huge that the Centre will also have to weigh over going public private partnership (PPP) route to exploit the talent pool in the private sector to meet the growing demand for doctors and other staff, if they really wish to ensure universal healthcare services to all.