All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bilaspur, which is being projected as BJP’s poll plank across Himachal Pradesh, has an acute staff shortage.

There is more than 53 percent vacancy in faculty as against the sanctioned strength of 183, only 86 have been recruited, whereas 97 posts are yet to be filled, even though the hospital has started functioning.

Among non-faculty, more than 88 percent of posts are yet to be filled. Against the sanctioned strength of 1,018, just 120 posts have been filled and a total of 898 posts are yet to be filled.

As per data shared by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, during question hour in the Lok Sabha, on July 29, more than 75 percent of posts are vacant among senior residents.

There are 40 sanctioned posts for senior residents but just 10 are filled and 30 are vacant.

Among the junior residents, there is a vacancy of 62.5 percent. Of the 40 sanctioned posts of junior residents only 15 are filled and 25 are vacant.

AIIMS Bilaspur started Outdoor Patient (OPD) services last 5 December and is likely to have 750 beds.

Whereas the neighbouring new AIIMS Bathinda in Punjab and AIIMS Rishkesh in Uttrakhand are better placed.

At AIIMS Bathinda, there is over 40 percent vacancy in faculty and over 49 percent vacancy in non-faculty.

Among senior residents, just six posts are lying vacant out of sanctioned strength of 50. Whereas of the sanctioned 50 posts junior residents just four are vacant.

In AIIMS Rishikesh, there is over 33 percent vacancy in faculty and about 48 percent in non-faculty. Of the 377 sanctioned posts of senior residents, 102 are vacant, which depict vacancy of over 27 percent. There are 351 posts of junior residents and all are filled.

The Ministry maintained that in AIIMS, recruitment to various positions is done on need basis keeping in view the range of additional services and facilities added.

The status of vacant posts at the various AIIMS is monitored at various levels by the government and vacancies are advertised based on requirements. However, as high standards have to be maintained in the selection, keeping in view the stature of these institutes of national importance, all the advertised positions could not be filled up, said the Ministry in reply to a question.

It was also informed that to facilitate recruitment, the upper age limit for direct recruitment against the posts of Professor and Additional Professor has been raised from 50 years to 58 years. Filling up of vacant faculty posts in the new AIIMS by taking serving faculty from Government Medical Colleges on a deputation basis has been allowed and contractual engagement of retired faculty of Government Medical Colleges or Institutes up to 70 years of age has also been allowed.

Even walk-in-interview for engagement of faculty on a contract basis has also been allowed and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders have been allowed to be appointed to the faculty positions.