AIIMS Director Calls for Fair Fee Structure in Private Medical Colleges, ETEducation

New Delhi: AIIMS Director Nikhil Tandon has called for a transparent mechanism to determine fees in private medical colleges, emphasizing that while institutions should be permitted a reasonable profit margin, this calculation should reflect the actual cost of providing medical education. Tandon’s remarks arise amidst a concerning scenario where nearly 2,000 PG medical seats remain unfilled, highlighting various issues such as high fees, students’ preferences for specific specialities, and language barriers that hinder recruitment in the medical field.Tandon stated that the assessment should include critical factors such as infrastructure, laboratories, equipment, faculty, and costs associated with maintaining and upgrading facilities. “Transparent assessment of these expenses is needed to determine what medical colleges should charge students,” he noted, stressing the importance of accurately calculating costs to avoid excessive fee structures.He said a student who secures a PG seat may still be unwilling to take up a speciality that is not their choice. The availability of a seat alone may not be enough to persuade a candidate to switch branches.Language is another barrier, particularly when students move between regions. Unlike engineering, clinical medicine requires doctors to take patient histories, understand symptoms and explain treatment to people, he said.In addition to addressing fee transparency and the challenges of vacancies, Tandon raised concerns regarding the expanding network of AIIMS across the country. He stated that newer institutions should not be held to the same standards as AIIMS-Delhi from the outset. “Newer AIIMS should not be expected to match AIIMS-Delhi immediately, just as IIT-Delhi cannot be compared with every other IIT,” he said.Attracting qualified faculty remains a significant hurdle for newer AIIMS. Although the government has provided infrastructure, financial assistance, and sanctioned posts, Tandon noted that these institutions face stiff competition from private hospitals.