AIIMS-Bilaspur’s cardiac specialist resigns amid four-year delay in surgical facilities

Bilaspur: Four years after joining AIIMS-Bilaspur as a cardiac surgeon, Dr Lakshmi Kumari Sankhyan, an acclaimed specialist in heart surgery, has resigned in frustration over the lack of facilities needed to perform cardiothoracic surgeries.

Despite her extensive qualifications from AIIMS-New Delhi, including a Master of Surgery in cardiac surgery, Dr Sankhyan has been unable to carry out a single operation due to lack of infrastructure and staffing issues in the institute’s Cardiology Department.

Appointed in 2020, Dr Sankhyan was expected to provide quality cardiac care for patients in Himachal Pradesh, including complex procedures like bypass surgery, heart defect correction and heart valve operations. However, the lack of essential equipment and support staff has limited the Cardiology Department to outpatient services, forcing patients needing surgical intervention to travel to PGI-Chandigarh.

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“Despite efforts, we couldn’t establish a fully operational cardiothoracic surgery unit. The equipment procurement is underway,” said the hospital management. The department has recorded approximately 520 consultations in its outpatient clinic, yet surgical advancements have been stalled due to a drawn-out equipment acquisition process.

Dr Sankhyan’s departure marks a significant setback for AIIMS-Bilaspur where recruitment for other crucial specialties remains incomplete. While the institution has published multiple advertisements to fill these vacancies, critical posts continue to go unfilled, further hampering its goal of delivering comprehensive healthcare within the state.