This is an archive article published on July 10, 2017
Will take time for AIIMS Bhopal to become a brand: Prof Nitin Madhusudan Nagarkar
Prof Nitin Madhusudan Nagarkar, director of AIIMS Raipur who was given additional charge of AIIMS Bhopal in 2015, speaks to The Indian Express about plans to resolve concerns about lack of adequate faculty and infrastructure.
Construction debris inside AIIMS Bhopal. Express photo by Kaunain Sheriff M
Prof Nitin Madhusudan Nagarkar, director of AIIMS Raipur who was given additional charge of AIIMS Bhopal in 2015, speaks to The Indian Express about plans to resolve concerns about lack of adequate faculty and infrastructure:
AIIMS Bhopal is severely hampered by a lack of adequate infrastructure. How are you addressing this issue?
A lot of work has gone into the development of the institute in the last two years. The construction of a medical college was priority, and that is now complete. As far as infrastructure is concerned, we have started MRI and CT scan services at the institute. We have also successfully started post-graduation in paramedical departments. The priority has been to complete the civil infrastructure that was part of the original plan and by the end of this year we will have 900 beds. We are positive about the development of the institute and we aim to provide quality patient care in central India.
Story continues below this ad
This is also AIIMS: No doctors, no faculty, a crowded OPD shuts | Click here
How are you planning to get qualified faculty?
Recruitment has been fast tracked since I have taken over as director. We have recruited 50 per cent of nursing staff in the last one year. In the last six months, we have been busy conducting interviews for 251 posts for faculty. I must say the response has been very positive. We received 1,500 applications for the 251 posts. The institute has conducted three rounds to finalise the list. Now the governing body will decide the final outcome. We are hopeful that by July 17, when the meeting is scheduled to take place, there should be a clear picture about recruitment.
This AIIMS has no emergency services, blood bank, mortuary or cardiac OPD | Click here
AIIMS, Bhopal was planned on the lines of the country’s premier AIIMS in Delhi. How do you compare the two?
Story continues below this ad
My approach is very positive. One cannot compare an institute that is 60 years old with one that’s just three years old. It is just a matter of time. For AIIMS Bhopal to become a brand, it will take some time.
The shortage of faculty has affected students pursuing undergraduate courses at the institute? Do you think their concerns are justified?
I am from PGI, Chandigarh, which is an institute of national importance. But in those days, we faced a similar situation. These institutions will gradually grow. In fact, students who graduate in such circumstances put in greater efforts and have successful careers.
AIIMS Rishikesh: Emergency centre without ICU, ICU without gas for ventilators | Click here
Kaunain Sheriff M is an award-winning investigative journalist and the National Health Editor at The Indian Express. He is the author of Johnson & Johnson Files: The Indian Secrets of a Global Giant, an investigation into one of the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical companies.
With over a decade of experience, Kaunain brings deep expertise in three areas of investigative journalism: law, health, and data. He currently leads The Indian Express newsroom’s in-depth coverage of health.
His work has earned some of the most prestigious honours in journalism, including the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) Award, and the Mumbai Press Club’s Red Ink Award.
Kaunain has also collaborated on major global investigations. He was part of the Implant Files project with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which exposed malpractices in the medical device industry across the world. He also contributed to an international investigation that uncovered how a Chinese big-data firm was monitoring thousands of prominent Indian individuals and institutions in real time.
Over the years, he has reported on several high-profile criminal trials, including the Hashimpura massacre, the 2G spectrum scam, and the coal block allocation case. Within The Indian Express, he has been honoured three times with the Indian Express Excellence Award for his investigations—on the anti-Sikh riots, the Vyapam exam scam, and the abuse of the National Security Act in Uttar Pradesh. ... Read More
3 min read
Construction debris inside AIIMS Bhopal. Express photo by Kaunain Sheriff M
