AIIMS Rishikesh 'extorting' doctors with Rs 15,000 exam fees: Delhi body

The Resident Doctor's Association of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi has written to the Union Health Minister JP Nadda over the irregularities in fees charged for the MD/MS examination — in AIIMS Rishikesh specifically.

In a recently-issued letter, the hospital body has cited that while the fee for the same in AIIMS Delhi is Rs 300 per exam, the same in AIIMS Rishikesh — at Rs 15,000 per exam — totals to Rs 60,000. The association has also highlighted multiple incidences of fee irregularities at the central government-run hospital. "We believe that appearing for final exams after fulfillment of all due requirements is the basic right of a resident and charging such exorbitant money for an exam is forceful and organised loot. AIIMS RDA, New Delhi strongly condemns and opposes this inhuman and unviable exam fee structure," the letter read, adding that the difference in fee was "beyond any logical reasoning".

Reportedly, the hospital has first sent out a circular that pegged the examination fee at Rs 30,000, but it was later amended to Rs 15,000.

The letter has also condemned that the AIIMS Rishikesh has not allowed the formation of RDA, thus providing no channel to the resident doctors to voice out their grievances against the administration. "I really do not know on what basis AIIMS Rishikesh is extorting money in the name of examination fees.

I cannot find any government medical college which is taking more than Rs.1,500 as examination fees. So there should be some rules and regulations from the Central institute body regarding the fees. Health Minister should intervene in this ongoing dictatorship, otherwise, there will be a bad competition between the peripheral AIIMS to increase the fees," said Dr Vijay Gurjar, former President, AIIMS RDA.