The absence of a senior residency scheme at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS)-Patna is going to hurt it.

More than 20 senior residents of the hospital work on contract basis, the duration of which ranges from three to 11 months. These doctors will join state-run hospitals for better opportunities.

The senior residency scheme allows medics to work for three years at a hospital. Besides, they get various leaves and allowances. However, the senior residents working at AIIMS-Patna, according to contract, work for a duration that is less than three months. They don't get leaves and allowances.

"The brain drain will not only hamper the hospital's functioning but also the teaching," said an AIIMS-Patna doctor preferring anonymity. "Senior residents play an important role in hospitals as they look after the indoor and outdoor departments. They also work in the operation theatre and take MBBS classes."

Sources said six senior residents from the anaesthesia department, another four from the orthopaedics department, two from the ear, nose and throat department and a few from the gynaecology-obstetrics and preventive and social medicine departments have qualified for the post of senior resident and specialist at state-run medical colleges through the Bihar Public Service Commission examinations. There are around 100 senior residents at AIIMS-Patna. Of them, more than 20 have got jobs in the state-run hospitals. Senior residents from departments such as microbiology are awaiting their results.

AIIMS-Patna sources said a few senior residents of the surgery department had already resigned to join state-run hospitals.

"Many senior residents are seriously thinking about joining state-run hospitals," said Amarnath Prasad, a senior resident at the hospital who will join Gaya's Anugrah Narayan Magadh Medical College and Hospital next month. "This is a regular post unlike that in AIIMS-Patna. Senior residents working here are insecure about their jobs. You can get promoted after serving as a senior resident but the duration here is so short that there is no scope for promotion."

An anaesthesia department senior resident, on condition of anonymity, said: "Money is also an issue. At AIIMS-Patna, we get Rs 73,000 every month while our counterparts at AIIMS-Delhi get around Rs 90,000. Senior residents at Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences get around Rs 80,000 per month. We will get around Rs 50,000 a month at state-run hospitals but we will also be allowed our own practices. There will be leaves and allowances."

AIIMS-Patna medical superintendent Umesh Kumar Bhadani assured that his institution will try to implement the senior residency scheme by July to stop the brain drain.

"If senior residents leave the institution suddenly, it will hamper our institution because they look after both hospital and college work," he said. "We had a meeting where we decided to implement the senior residency scheme by July."?

Bhadani said AIIMS officials will try to convince the senior residents to stay.

"Senior residency is a training programme after postgraduation," he said. "AIIMS provides the best faculty. We are confident that many (senior residents) will think about staying back."