The Resident Doctors Association (RDA) of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has raised an urgent appeal to the institution’s director regarding the non-payment of stipends to its Foreign National Residents. This issue, highlighted in a letter dated January 12, 2024, has sparked considerable concern among the medical community.

The RDA, represented by General Secretary Dr. Raghunandan Dixit and President Dr. Indra Shekhar Prasad, is calling for immediate action to address what they describe as a longstanding grievance affecting their foreign counterparts. Despite their crucial role in AIIMS’s operations, these residents have not received the stipends to which they are entitled, a situation that the RDA argues is both ethically and legally problematic.

The RDA points out that similar institutions, including JIPMER and PGIMER, have already resolved such issues, providing stipend payments to their Foreign National Residents as early as 2020. The letter stresses that AIIMS, renowned for its commitment to medical excellence and fairness, risks falling behind in its principles if this issue remains unresolved.

The RDA emphasizes that the work and dedication of Foreign National Residents are comparable to their peers who receive stipends. The ongoing denial of these stipends is said to affect their morale and tarnish AIIMS’s reputation as a leader in medical education and equality.

The association has called upon the AIIMS director to take swift action to rectify the situation, asserting that doing so will reaffirm AIIMS’s standing as a model institution in terms of fairness and equity.

The RDA's plea highlights the critical need for institutional support to ensure that all residents, regardless of nationality, are treated with fairness and respect.