The Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA) has released the results of its nationwide survey FAIMA–Review Medical System (FAIMA-RMS), which reveals widespread deficiencies in infrastructure, faculty strength and overall standards of training in newly established medical colleges across the country.
Conducted in more than 28 states and Union Territories, the survey collected more than 2,000 responses from medical students, teachers and professors representing both government and private healthcare institutions. Of the total number of participants, 90.4% were from government institutions and 7.8% from private universities.
The survey revealed that only 71.5% of respondents reported adequate exposure to patients, while only 54.3% confirmed regular teaching sessions. Laboratory equipment and instrumentation was assessed as satisfactory by 69.2%, faculty equipment was 68.8%. Only 44.1% reported having access to functional skills labs. Only half of respondents received an early stipend, and only 29.5% said they had fixed work hours, 73.9% of participants said they were overloaded with clerical work, 55.2% said they were understaffed, and 40.8% described their work environment as toxic.
FAIMA noted that despite recommendations made in 2024 by the National Task Force following a similar nationwide survey, including fixed working hours for residents and interns, the appointment of mental health counselors for medical students, annual parental involvement in wellness initiatives and 10 days of mental health leave, the survey shows that very few of these measures have been implemented in practice.
Published – 16 Oct 2025 20:10 IST
