Vacant Teaching Posts at Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital

Overview of Faculty Shortages

New Delhi: A recent Right To Information (RTI) response has highlighted that among the 398 sanctioned teaching positions at Vardhman Mahavir Medical College (VMMC) and Safdarjung Hospital, 70 remain unfilled. This situation raises alarms regarding the quality of patient care and medical education at one of India’s largest central government hospitals. Currently, 365 faculty members are employed, yet disparities in faculty distribution across various departments persist.

Current Faculty Employment Status

The RTI data indicates that out of the total faculty, 346 are regular members, while 19 hold contractual appointments. The hospital administration provided this information on December 27, 2025, including detailed statistics on department-specific vacancies.

Departmental Shortages

The breakdown reveals significant shortages in several critical departments:
– Clinical Haematology has only 2 faculty members in comparison to the 11 sanctioned positions, resulting in 9 vacancies.
– Neurology is missing 8 faculty members, whereas the Cardiology department, which provides essential tertiary care, is operating with 7 out of 12 posts filled.
– Neurosurgery is facing 5 vacant positions, and Anaesthesia, crucial for surgical and emergency services, has 6 faculty shortages.
– Medical Oncology is particularly concerning, with 2 sanctioned posts but no faculty currently in position.
– Additional vacancies exist in Nuclear Medicine, Urology, Pathology, Physiology, Pulmonary Medicine, Endocrinology, and Forensic Medicine.

Impact of Faculty Shortages

According to a recent report from the Times of India (TOI), these faculty shortages have resulted in ongoing staffing gaps in several vital departments, leading to internal imbalances rather than a uniform distribution of faculty.

Official Response to RTI Findings

In response to the RTI findings, Sakshi Chhugh, the public relations officer for VMMC and Safdarjung Hospital, stated, “The hospital has a sanctioned strength of 398 teaching posts, of which 345 are presently occupied by regular faculty and 18 by contractual faculty. Interviews for the remaining 35 posts have already been conducted, and appointments will be formalized in accordance with established recruitment procedures. The hospital remains committed to ensuring that academic activities, teaching programs, and patient care services proceed without interruption.”

Related Issues

Additionally, another RTI report has revealed 18 rabies-related deaths in Delhi over the past three years, despite the Centre’s claims of zero cases.