The Morning Brief India’s Biggest Hospital has a Chronic Illness
Mar 21, 2025
Teena Thacker, ET's pharma expert, joins a senior official from AIIMS, India’s largest hospital, to discuss alarming staff shortages impacting patient care. They reveal over 2,500 vacancies amidst rising demand, urging the health ministry for improved recruitment and compensation. The conversation also highlights delays in AIIMS' master plan due to bureaucratic hurdles and budget constraints, shedding light on the urgent need for reforms in India's healthcare system to tackle mismanagement and underutilization of resources.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
AIIMS Crowds
- Anirban Chowdhury recounts his first visit to AIIMS in Delhi at age 13.
- Overwhelmed by crowds, his family abandoned their health check-up plans.
AIIMS Staff Shortages
- AIIMS faces staff shortages, with over 2,000 vacant faculty positions and 430 vacant doctor positions.
- The influx of primary and secondary care patients overwhelms AIIMS's tertiary care capacity.
Brain Drain from AIIMS
- Private hospitals lure experienced AIIMS doctors with better compensation and infrastructure.
- This brain drain exacerbates AIIMS's staffing issues.