The Faculty Association of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (FAIMS) has written a letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya showing concern over the change in name of AIIMS Delhi. The matter is under discussion on naming 23 AIIMS after the name of a famous personality or place. The FAIMS had sought opinions from all faculty members over the issue and asked for a reply from them. The faculty members shared their decision and opposed the decision to change the name of AIIMS, Delhi.
The Faculty Association in its letter has stated that if the name is changed then AIIMS, Delhi will face a huge loss of identity and morale. "We believe that AIIMS Delhi will pay severe loss of identity and demoralization if the name is changed. Hence, FAIMS requests you to please do not consider any proposal for changing the name of AIIMS Delhi. This will help to maintain Premier and Mentor institute status of AIIMS Delhi with respect to others in the country," reads the letter.
AIIMS, Delhi was created in 1956 with a trinity of mission for medical education, research and patient care. As of now, it has consistently ranked first in the NIRF rankings of medical institutions. FAIMS believes that a change in name will result in the loss of identity of AIIMS. "Identity is linked with the name. If identity is lost, institutional recognition is lost both within the country and outside. That is why famous and established institutes have with the same names for centuries -continued Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard universities," it added.
Earlier the Union Health Ministry drafted a proposal to give specific names to all AIIMS, which include those which are fully functional, partially functional and under construction after local heroes, freedom fighters, unsung heroes or historical monuments of the area. The ministry requested to suggest three to four names in each category along with an explanatory note for the names suggested. Currently, AIIMS in India are distinguished only by the place of their location like- AIIMS Delhi, AIIMS Bhopal, AIIMS Bhubaneswar, AIIMS Jodhpur and AIIMS Patna.
