AIIMS Jammu Invites Diaspora Medics To Strengthen Institution Healthcare Back Home

Seeking to reverse the longstanding trend of medical brain drain amid shortage of specialised human resources, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Jammu has called upon medical professionals from Jammu & Kashmir working in other parts of India and abroad to support the institution’s growth and contribute to healthcare delivery back home.

In an official communication, Executive Director and CEO Prof. (Dr.) Shakti Kumar Gupta has invited members of the global medical community—and particularly those with roots in the region—to join AIIMS Jammu in its growing academic, clinical, and research ecosystem.

Prof. Gupta, an alumnus of AIIMS Delhi and a noted administrator, said the institute is entering its second year of operational excellence and is rapidly emerging as one of India’s leading centres of medical education and healthcare delivery.

The communication highlights the institute’s expanding collaborations, including partnerships with IIT Jammu, IIM Jammu, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), USA, aimed at bolstering translational research, innovation, and global academic exchange.

AIIMS Jammu has introduced several digital and patient-centred initiatives, including an Indoor Navigation App, Patient Care Coordinators, Rogi Sahayak Mitras, and the extensive use of Artificial Intelligence in radiology, pathology, and clinical decision support.

“Healthcare outreach has also been strengthened through camps, OPDs in remote and border regions, telemedicine programmes, and public-awareness campaigns,” said Dr Gupta.

The Institute’s Centre for Advanced Genomics and Precision Medicine is conducting pioneering work in precision oncology and genetic research, with samples and research support drawn from agencies such as the ICMR, SERB, and NAMS.

New clinical services, including Radiation Oncology and Chemotherapy Day Care, have expanded cancer treatment options in the region. AIIMS Jammu has also been designated a “Pain-Free AIIMS” by the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, recognising its commitment to safe and compassionate pain management.

Upcoming upgrades such as Total Laboratory Automation (TLA) and dry-slide biochemistry platforms are expected to further strengthen diagnostic accuracy and sustainability. The institute has also invested heavily in a state-of-the-art Digital Library to support research, learning, and academic collaboration.

Prof. Gupta emphasised that diaspora professionals could play a transformative role across teaching, research, observership, mentorship, and patient-care domains.

“Your contribution through collaboration, innovation, and shared expertise will inspire us to reach greater heights in healthcare delivery,” he stated, adding that AIIMS Jammu “looks forward to hosting you on its green, vibrant, and inspiring campus—where knowledge blooms and collaboration thrives.”

As a gesture of appreciation for their service, AIIMS Jammu has announced a token honorarium of Rs 5,000 per day, along with free lodging and travel facilities for visiting medical professionals.

Welcoming the initiative, Prof. K. Ganapathy, eminent neurosurgeon, Past President Neurological Society of India and PP Telemedicine Society of India said, alumni and senior professors could play a pivotal role by teaching, supporting research, mentoring students, and sharing their global expertise.

Recalling his visit to AIIMS Jammu a fortnight ago, Dr. Ganapathy lauded the institution’s faculty, state-of-the-art infrastructure and innovative use of technology in healthcare. “It is impossible to separate excellence in medical education from robust infrastructure and advanced technology. AIIMS Jammu has set benchmarks in both,” he said, noting initiatives such as the first-of-its-kind MBA programme in hospital administration offered by AIIMS Jammu jointly with IIT Jammu and IIM Jammu.

However, he emphasised that the institution’s greatest need now is human resources. Joining AIIMS Jammu is a great opportunity for professional growth. “I wish I was several decades younger” he remarked, adding that experienced specialists and super-specialists from other parts of India and overseas spending time at this AIIMS can make a difference.

Prof. Ganapathy added that he would recommend this excellent initiative to his colleagues practicing in the UK, US and other countries and encouraged overseas clinicians to actively consider contributing to the institution’s growth.