Surgery Count Dips At AIIMS Bhopal; Shortage Of OT Consumables Leads To 55,000 Drop In Operations In One Year

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): AIIMS Bhopal has seen a sharp decline of around 55,000 surgeries between August 2024 and August 2025. Internal sources said that surgeries dropped from about 60,000 last year to barely 5,000 in August 2025.

The primary reason cited is a shortage of surgical consumables in operation theatres (OTs) across departments. Despite repeated written requests from head of departments (HoDs) over the past six months, higher authorities have failed to address the crisis.

As per the AIIMS financial report 2023–24, the hospital performed 11,544 major and 18,122 minor surgeries. However, due to lack of OT items, patients are being given repeated surgery dates, prompting many to shift to other hospitals.

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Doctors, unwilling to be named, said the issue has persisted without resolution for months. Surgery consumables, such as gloves, gowns, syringes, needles, drapes, masks, bandages and sutures, are single-use essentials. Their absence not only delays procedures but also risks patient safety and infection control.

Cause for concern

• 55,000 surgeries dropped from Aug 2024 to Aug 2025

• Only 5,000 surgeries recorded in Aug 2025 vs 60,000 last year

• OT consumables in short supply across departments

• Repeated complaints by HoDs have gone unanswered