Patna,(BiharTimes): Lack of early construction of infrastructure and other facilities are driving doctors away from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna. In the last few months at least five doctors have left for AIIMS, New Delhi; AIIMS, Bhubaneswar; PGI Chandigarh and PGI Lucknow. Another doctor has submitted his resignation, which has not yet been accepted.

Last month Puja Gupta, an Assistant Professor in the Pharmacology department, left for AIIMS, New Delhi.

In January 2014 Lokesh Singh Shekhawat, one of the two Assistant Professors in the Psychiatry department, left for Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Chandigarh. 

Last yearGaurav Sharma of the Medicine department and Supriya Sharma of Surgery moved to Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow while R Das of the Anatomy department shifted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar.

Bishwadip Chatterjee another doctor in the Psychiatry department has also submitted his resignation. It is yet to be cleared by the administration. He is moving to AIIMS, New Delhi. So AIIMS Patna will be left with no one in Psychiatry department. 

As reported last year Supriya Sharma is one of the few surgeons in India to have performed a liver surgery. She reportedly moved to AIIMS, Patna with the aim to do something better. But she could not perform any surgery for a long time because of the lack of infrastructure, such as, development of liver transplant facility. Reports suggest that it would take another two years for such facility to come up in AIIMS Patna. 

Doctors are of the view that if a surgeon is asked not to do any operation for so many years he or she would lose his skill and expertise.

Dr R Das also moved because of delay in construction of the Anatomy laboratory and other infrastructure. 

Doctors here concede that AIIMS Patna has not become fully functional after so many years. Its foundation stone was laid more than a decade back in January 2004.

The resignation by so many doctors is not only affecting the patients but also students of MBBS, who took admission with high hope.

There are around 60 doctors at AIIMS, Patna. What is ironical is that doctors from other places, especially metros, are not finding any problem in coming over to Patna to join in private hospitals because of a better environment and good salary.