Nagpur: In a scathing observation, the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court on Wednesday pulled up the functioning of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Nagpur, questioning why a premier institute meant to deliver top-tier healthcare is failing to provide even basic treatment to patients.
Expressing strong displeasure, a division bench of Justice Anil Kilor and Justice Raj Wakode remarked that while AIIMS institutions across the country are known for quality medical care, patients in Nagpur appear to be deprived of similar standards. The judges underscored that access to proper treatment is not a privilege but a fundamental expectation from a government-run super-speciality hospital.
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The bench noted with concern that many patients are allegedly being forced to seek treatment in private hospitals due to inadequate services at AIIMS Nagpur, a situation that raises serious questions about the institute’s functioning and accountability.
Taking serious note of the issue, the High Court orally directed Advocate Mugdha Chandurkar, representing the Central Government, to personally visit and inspect the hospital. The Centre has been asked to file a detailed response within two weeks.
The court has taken suo motu cognisance of the matter and registered a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), particularly after it was brought to its attention that a substantial number of posts at the institute have remained vacant for an extended period.
Out of 373 sanctioned posts, as many as 137 are lying vacant, a gap the court observed has severely hampered the institution’s functioning. The shortage of professors and other essential staff has reportedly affected services at multiple levels, undermining the very purpose for which AIIMS was established.
Calling AIIMS a “prestigious institution,” the bench observed that citizens approach it with the expectation of world-class healthcare. The continued existence of large-scale vacancies, the court said, is a matter of grave public concern and cannot be ignored.
In the ongoing proceedings, the High Court has appointed Advocate Jugalkishore Gilda as amicus curiae to assist the court.
The case now puts the spotlight squarely on the Centre and the institute’s administration to explain why a flagship healthcare facility is struggling to meet public expectations.
