Jolt after jolt may soon render the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna, numb.

After several of its doctors moved to other hospitals, Dr Vijay Sheel Gautam, the head of the emergency and trauma department of the hospital has also put in his papers.

The doctors who left earlier were Gaurav Sharma, assistant professor in the medicine department, Supriya Sharma, associate professor in the surgery department, R. Das, professor in the anatomy department and AIIMS medical superintendent Dr A.K. Pandey.

With more than 30 years of experience of working on emergency services in London, Dr Gautam had been specially brought in to run the department at AIIMS-Patna.

The Telegraph had earlier hinted in its report 'Brain drain price for AIIMS delay' published on December 16, 2013, that Dr Gautam was looking out for other options.

AIIMS director G.K. Singh said: 'Though we have received the resignation letter, the governing body would take the final call in this matter.'

Gautam, however, was not available for comment.

A source said: 'The AIIMS administration is not willing to accept the resignation of Gautam. He has received an offer from the state government of a good post in the field of disaster management. The ministry of health and family welfare had asked the AIIMS-Patna administration to send Gautam on deputation where he wanted to go but it was not keen to release Gautam from the post because of a doctor crunch at the hospital. The administration thought it would be unwise to release Gautam at this stage. I think it might be waiting for fresh recruitment of doctors at the hospital before it accepts Gautam's resignation.'

Doctors of AIIMS-Patna feel that Gautam's departure would definitely hamper the progress of the hospital.

An AIIMS doctor said: 'If any doctor leaves AIIMS-Patna at this stage, that would definitely hamper its progress. The departure of Gautam would hinder the progress of the trauma and emergency department of the hospital he heads. Recently, the private firm engaged in the construction of the hospital, has handed over two floors of the trauma and emergency building. The hospital runs the medicine ward in the space but I think the decision taken is wrong. The hospital could have waited for two-three more months and then started the trauma and emergency department in the space alloted for it.'