AIIMS Faces Brain Drain: Over 400 Doctors Resign in Just 24 Months

 An extraordinary talent flight is occurring at the All-India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), one of India's top public health institutes. In just two years, more than 400 doctors have resigned from 20 AIIMS concerns about the future of medical education and patient care in the country.

Where Is the Exodus Hitting Hardest?

The flagship AIIMS in Delhi is affected the most, with more than 50 doctors resigning, including department heads and senior members of The staff. Other campuses like Shrike, Jaipur, Larkspur, Man gala Giri, and Bhopal have each witnessed dozens of resignation. This trend indicates a problem that is national in scope rather than local.

Why Are Doctors Quitting?

1. Pay Disparities

Higher AIIMS doctors command around ₹2–2.5 lakh monthly salaries, four to ten times that is the provide from private hospitals. That is a staggering pay difference which makes the private sector an irresistible option.

2. Bureaucratic Roadblocks

Several of the Former academic staff have attributed inefficient leadership and too much bureaucracy, grumbling that even regular decisions made by the department must be routed through layers of clearance. The curtailment of decision-making powers has left veteran physicians disillusioned, undermining AIIMS’ legacy of academic freedom.

3. Lack of Recognition

Senior Doctors often feel bypassed by political intervention and favouritism in appointments. Senior physicians, who once saw AIIMS as a sanctuary of professional autonomy, are now disheartened by its growing restrictions.

4. Vacancies and Infrastructure Shortfalls

Teaching posts go vacant in AIIMS institutions, with vacancy rates of up to 70 percent in some of them. The newer AIIMS campuses, especially in small towns, face issues of, and the internet, and more facilities, and thus are not desirable postings.

What Does This Mean for Healthcare?

Decline in Patient Care

With experienced and senior doctors departing, patients will no longer be able to see the same of competence. As younger doctors continue to arrive, they do not have the skills complex cases necessitate.

Effect on Medical Educati

Reduced availability of senior Mentorship is impacted by academics, who deny  the appropriate guidance. …which could erode the overall quality of medical training in the years ahead.

Increasing Healthcare Inequality

in doctors shift towards private hospitals that are based in major cities, the patient in rural or underserved locations can find it even more difficult to seek specialized treatment.

What Needs To Completed?

Competitive Pay: Balancing salaries between government hospitals and private facilities is important in order to hold onto the best talent.

Structural Reform: AIIMS requires clean leadership, less bureaucracy, and increased autonomy for departments.

Enhanced Infrastructure: Housing, quality schools, and connectivity at new AIIMS campuses will draw in academics.

Vacancy Filling: Recruitment needs to be given priority, especially for senior academics, to ease the workload on incumbent staff.

Over 400 doctors resigning from AIIMS in a span of two years signals a serious crisis. This is not a mere personnel matter but an indicator of systemic issues—spanning from to poor institutional governance. AIIMS is still one of the most highly regarded healthcare brands in India, but until these structural issues are solved in a hurry, the country risks undermining public confidence in its best medical institutions.