Why Senior Doctors Are Leaving India’s Top Medical Institute AIIMS Delhi?

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IN 1956, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi—one of India’s most prestigious and highest-ranked medical institutes—was established. The institution was championed by India’s first Health Minister, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, and its primary goal was to provide postgraduate medical training in India for Indian medical students, so that they would not be forced to leave the country for education.

At one time, the institution was considered the highest point a person could reach in a medical career, and a faculty position there was the dream of many. Doctors who worked there would often spend decades before retiring. However, the institution is not the same today. In recent years, a growing number of senior faculty members have been leaving long before retirement.

This unusual exodus of senior faculty members has shocked many. According to reports by The Print, between 2023 and 2025, at least 15 senior members, including several Heads of Departments (HoDs), took voluntary retirement, with 13 of them later joining private hospitals.

The Print spoke to many of these doctors, as well as others, to understand the reasons behind this exodus from AIIMS, as many of those who retired still had several years of service remaining. After speaking with these doctors, The Print reported that most cited “personal reasons” in their paperwork, but later explained deeper issues within the institution.

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Institutional hierarchy problem in AIIMS Delhi

According to former Head of the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS), Dr Shiv Kumar Choudhary, one of those who opted for voluntary retirement in 2024, the institution had hierarchy-related problems. As per The Print report, he served the institution for 27 years before choosing early retirement.

He said that one reason behind the departure of many senior doctors was the disruption of institutional hierarchy following the appointment of a younger director. He explained that an institution runs on seniority and stated, “When a new director was appointed, who was much younger than many senior doctors who had spent their lives at AIIMS, it never settled well.”

Earlier, it was a dream for many doctors to work at AIIMS, a highly prestigious institution, but over time this perception has changed. Many doctors who left still had 2–3 years of service remaining but chose to leave. Those who resigned or retired early cited bureaucratic hurdles, poor career progression, leadership constraints, and increasing administrative responsibilities that reduced time for patient care and research.

Doctors Burdened with Administrative Work Over Attending to Patients

Dr Milind Padmakar Hote, a professor in cardiothoracic surgery who also took voluntary retirement in 2024, said that surgeries were sometimes cancelled due to procurement delays and administrative issues. He added that waiting periods for patients, including children, stretched up to 15 months. “About five percent of patients on the waiting list died before their surgery date… including small children. It was not just frustrating. It was causing me guilt,” he said.

He also said that nearly 60 percent of his time was spent dealing with tender files and administrative disputes rather than treating patients. He further noted that the Make in India initiative added to the burden, as international brands were restricted from bidding in tenders for medical equipment, which sometimes affected the availability of the best products in operation theatres.

Another senior doctor who retired before completing her tenure said that increasing administrative interference made the work depressing and reduced professional autonomy. “Nobody wants to spend time doing useless work. When you have autonomy, your quality of work improves. But there came a time when it became depressing… there was too much interference from the administration,” she told The Print.

Departure in AIIMS Delhi is not limited to senior professors

The departures are not limited to senior professors. Between 2018 and 2025, a total of 58 doctors at assistant, associate, and additional professor levels resigned from AIIMS Delhi. Some moved to other AIIMS campuses and government institutions, while many cited personal reasons.

According to a Parliamentary Standing Committee report (March 2026), the government has approved 1,306 faculty posts for the institute. Of these, 854 posts are currently filled, including 73 assistant professors on contract. However, 452 posts remain vacant, amounting to a shortage of about 35%. The panel recommended time-bound recruitment and retention incentives for specialists.

Dr Sanjay Kumar Agarwal, former HoD of Nephrology, warned that the era of doctors spending 30–40 years at AIIMS may be over. “The breed of doctors who stayed for 30 or 40 years—you will not see that again,” he said. “Now only about 30 percent of people who join as assistant professors will stay long enough to become heads of department.”

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More reasons for leaving AIIMS Delhi

Another major reason is the rapidly expanding private healthcare sector, which is creating lucrative opportunities for senior doctors. According to The Print, the Indian private healthcare market reached $122.6 billion in 2025 and is projected to touch $197.8 billion by 2034. Major hospital chains such as Apollo, Fortis, and Max are expected to add thousands of beds in the coming years.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee noted that a new cardiologist at AIIMS earns around ₹1 lakh per month, while private hospitals offer ₹4–5 lakh. It blamed government-imposed salary caps for making retention difficult. As a result, many doctors prefer moving to private hospitals. Among the 15 senior faculty members who left AIIMS, at least 13 joined private institutions.

Another issue raised by faculty members is the absence of a rotational leadership system at AIIMS. While institutions such as BHU, NIMHANS, CMC Vellore, and JIPMER have adopted rotational headship, AIIMS Delhi and PGIMER Chandigarh still operate under an interim collegium model. Assistant Professor Dr Amrinder Singh said some department heads have remained in office for 18 years, leaving little room for younger faculty members to progress.

Housing crisis in AIIMS Delhi

AIIMS also faces a severe housing shortage. Located in South Delhi, the institute offers limited campus accommodation, and waiting periods can stretch over a year. According to the Parliamentary Standing Committee report, the faculty association (FAIMS) pointed out that out of more than 850 faculty members, only around 250 are provided on-campus housing which is less than 30%.

The report also stated that this shortage not only affects faculty’s well-being but also undermines the Gurukul model of immersive learning, hampers UG and PG training, and weakens preparedness for night-time emergency care. Doctors say that renting a two-bedroom apartment in the area costs at least ₹40,000 per month, while buying property is beyond reach for many.

Many doctors who left AIIMS still continue to leverage the prestige associated with the institution. Former faculty members say the name significantly enhances their bargaining power in private hospitals and other institutions. One doctor who left after only eight months said, “If you were at AIIMS, your name itself has value. You can sell your name—ex-faculty of AIIMS, New Delhi.”

Despite these challenges, AIIMS remains a major and respected institution. Even with the exodus of faculty members, AIIMS New Delhi continues to be one of India’s busiest medical centers, with around 15,000 patients visiting its outpatient department every day, reflecting the immense trust patients place in the institution.

The institute remains globally renowned as India’s premier medical institution, consistently ranked first nationally and sixth among hospitals worldwide. It is widely recognized as a world-class, highly affordable healthcare organization that also conducts groundbreaking research and continues to function as India’s leading tertiary care medical university.

(Edited by: Harsh Pandey)

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