Srinagar, Oct 29: Calls are growing for the restoration of administrative autonomy at Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Soura, amid concerns that staff shortages and bureaucratic delays are affecting patient care at the premier healthcare institution.

In 2023, SKIMS was brought under the administrative framework of the Health and Medical Education (H&ME) Department. Previously, the institute reported directly to the Chief Secretary and the Chief Minister, with greater powers to manage recruitment and other administrative matters.
Former SKIMS Director Dr Parvaiz Koul said the change had weakened the institution's functioning and affected its ability to recruit doctors and paramedical staff, procure machinery and maintain its distinct identity.
Established on the lines of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, and the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, SKIMS was envisioned as a leading centre for specialised healthcare, medical education and research.
Koul said the institute was earlier able to recruit doctors and other personnel independently through dedicated selection mechanisms. Under the current arrangement, vacancies must be referred to external recruitment agencies, resulting in delays.
He claimed that SKIMS was functioning with around 2,000 personnel against a requirement of approximately 5,000, leaving the institution severely understaffed.
According to Koul, the curtailment of the Director's administrative powers has further complicated decision-making and recruitment. He said he had conveyed to the Chief Minister the urgent need to restore the institute's autonomy to protect its institutional standing and improve patient care.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has also identified the restoration of SKIMS autonomy as a priority. Speaking on the institute's 42nd Foundation Day, he said the government was considering measures to address shortages of medical and paramedical staff and strengthen modern healthcare facilities.
Former Director Dr Abdul Ghani Ahangar also stressed that SKIMS, recognised as a deemed university under its governing legislation, requires administrative, academic and financial autonomy to maintain its standards.
He said the Director must have adequate authority to manage the institution effectively, adding that administrative powers without corresponding financial and academic control would limit the ability to introduce meaningful improvements.
Ahangar also raised concerns over the shortage of technical personnel needed to operate recently procured medical equipment worth crores of rupees.
He said advanced machinery alone could not improve patient services unless qualified staff were available to operate it. Due to the shortage, patients are often compelled to seek diagnostic services at private laboratories and centres.
SKIMS caters to patients from Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh, making it a crucial referral centre for specialised treatment across the region.
The former directors maintained that restoring autonomy, accelerating recruitment and ensuring adequate technical staffing were essential to improving patient care and safeguarding the institute's future.