NEW DELHI: The 20 new AIIMS should gradually set global standards in patient care, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said, underscoring the need to create structured patient feedback mechanisms and take concrete steps to enhance patient satisfaction.
He was addressing the leadership meeting of presidents and CEOs of the new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences held by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare here on Thursday.
The conclave is seen as an ongoing endeavor to build institutional capacity, enhance inter-institutional collaboration and create a strong and cohesive network of AIIMS institutions to further strengthen the country’s public health systems.
In his keynote address, Nadda emphasized that the conclave is contextual and relevant to the current phase of expansion of the AIIMS network.
He said a balanced approach must be maintained between patient care, teaching and research, with a clear focus on promoting a patient-centred model.
The Minister expected that the new AIIMS system would gradually set global standards in patient care and medical education while maintaining the institutional spirit associated with the AIIMS system. Noting that the new AIIMS is at different stages of development, the Minister stressed the importance of mutual support and structured cooperation so that institutions can grow together in a coordinated manner.
Expressing satisfaction that the 20th AIIMS has established a collaborative research consortium to promote coordinated health research in line with national priorities, he said institutional leadership must blend administrative efficiency with academic excellence to effectively guide this initiative.
In clarifying the governance roles, he stressed that the head of each institute represents the ministry and provides guidance and supervision, while the executive director is responsible for daily management.
He stressed the need to respect this functional distinction to ensure effective institutional management.
The Minister called for going beyond traditional practices and promoting greater transparency, accountability and objectivity in decision-making processes.
He urged adoption of latest technologies, especially integration of artificial intelligence in diagnosis and clinical decision making, and stressed the need to institutionalize telemedicine services as a regular component of the functioning of AIIMS.
He also called for strengthening awareness programs to expand community participation and enhance the public health role of institutions.
Regarding human resources development, the Minister stressed the need to accelerate the process of recruiting faculty members without compromising the standards of knowledge and quality of health care provision.
He suggested conducting at least four rounds of interviews annually and pointed to the recent increase in faculty recruitment across AIIMS.
Nadda emphasized the need to conduct structured mechanisms such as NORCET and the Joint Recruitment Examination for nursing and non-teaching staff regularly, with emphasis on timely appointments.
The Minister also directed that facilities like Jan Aushadhi Kendra centers and AMRIT pharmacies should be established and maintained in every AIIMS to ensure access to affordable medicines.
Nadda called for developing a structured mechanism for exchange of faculty and students between AIIMS and other institutes of national importance, with AIIMS playing a pioneering role in building teaching and nursing capacity.
He stressed the importance of collaborative research with leading institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology and the Indian Institutes of Management, especially in areas such as rare diseases, genetic disorders and medical technology innovation.
While acknowledging the expansion in numbers of AIIMS, he cautioned that increasing capacity should not dilute established standards and reiterated that the quality of healthcare and medical education for which AIIMS is known must be maintained.
This article was generated from an automated news feed without any modifications to the text.
