Implement rotational head policy, urge AIIMS-Delhi, PGI faculties

The Faculty Associations of AIIMS (FAIMS), New Delhi, and PGIMER, Chandigarh, have jointly expressed deep concern over the continued delay in implementing the long-standing policy of rotatory headship (appointment of head of department by rotation) in their premier institutions.

In a general body meeting of the two associations, the members unanimously voiced that the rotatory headship system along with the collegium system was essential for promoting a fair, transparent and democratic governance structure within their institutions.

In 2023, the Union Health Ministry said the rotatory headship policy would be implemented in AIIMS New Delhi and PGIMER, Chandigarh, from June 2024. The associations said despite the formal communication from the ministry, no tangible steps were taken towards the implementation.

The policy of rotating the heads every five years was one of the key recommendations of a central government panel constituted in 2006. At present, a similar system is already in place in many other top medical institutes like IMS, BHU, Varanasi; NIMHANS, Bengaluru; JIPMER, Puducherry; and CMC, Vellore.

In a joint statement, the associations have said if the policy is not implemented, a phased protest will begin from May 1. In May, the members of the association will protest wearing black badge followed by relay hunger protest in June.

The issue of the collegium system and rotational headship are a long-pending demand of the Central government-run health facilities. Faculty associations of AIIMS and PGIMER, Chandigarh, have been raising the issue for over a decade now. The demand was first put to the government in 2009 during the UPA-2 regime when Ghulam Nabi Azad was the then Health Minister.