Faculty associations of AIIMS and PGIMER warn of protest in case of delay in implementing rotatory headship

The faculty associations of the AIIMS, New Delhi and PGIMER, Chandigarh on Thursday said they will organise protests in case of any further delay in the implementation of the rotatory headship.

They expressed their deep anguish over the delay in the submission of a report regarding the rotatory headship and said a committee under the chairmanship of Dr Vinod Kumar Paul (Member, NITI Aayog) was constituted on August 18, 2022 by the Union health ministry.

The committee was to submit its report to the government on the implementation of rotatory headship and other related issues.

But even after the lapse of more than six months, this committee has failed to submit its report to the government, they said in a joint statement.

"To the best of our knowledge, all the members of the committee have appraised their opinion to the chairman, Professor Vinod Paul, and this report is inexplicably pending release for several days/weeks," the statement said.

The faculty associations of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi and Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) have been demanding rotatory headship for more than a decade now.

Countless committees have been formed by the Centre in this regard in the past and almost every panel has recommended its implementation in principle.

Of the many committees so far on this issue, one was formed under the chairmanship of Professor V K Behl, former dean of the AIIMS, to give suggestions on how to implement it. The committee has submitted its report after due consideration and consultation, the statement said.

The implementation and modalities of this administrative reform have been discussed deeply and for long and now, it is only left to be implemented.

"The surprising thing is that no one doubts the importance of this administrative reform and its positive effect in the interest of the country, yet due to the personal biases of certain individuals and the failure to take an administrative decision by the authority entrusted with this task, this administrative reform of great importance is delayed time and again," the statement said.

Stating that several reforms and tough decisions have been taken under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the statement said, "We believe that rotatory headship is another one of such administrative reforms, which will have impactful progress and transparency in the administration of AIIMS, New Delhi and PGIMER, Chandigarh." It is pertinent to note that at present, a similar system is in place in many other top medical institutes like IMS, BHU-Varanasi, NIMHANS-Bengaluru, JIPMER-Puducherry and CMC-Vellore, and the faculties of these institutes have expressed their satisfaction with this administrative system, which is a valid endorsement of this vital reform, the statement said.

At a meeting with the faculty association of the AIIMS, New Delhi on january 31, Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also expressed his confidence in this administrative reform and the desire to implement it soon, the statement said.

"We fail to understand why Dr Vinod K Paul has been delaying in the submission of this report. He might be under the influence of a few who want to derail this reform," it said.

"The faculty associations of both institutes are considering a series of protests and alternative actions in case of further unaccountable delays in implementing the report. We strongly urge Union minister Mansukh Mandaviyaji to demand the report from Dr Vinod K Paul so that the implementation of rotatory headship at both the institutes can be expedited," the statement added.