NEW DELHI: A decision has been taken to allow NRI doctors, including Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders, to apply for faculty positions in AIIMS institutions in several states, said senior officials in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Six new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), in Patna, Jodhpur, Bhubaneshwar, Bhopal, Rishikesh and Raipur, were started in 2012. Four others in Raebareli, Kalyani, Nagpur and Mangalagiri Guntur have started classes for small batches of MBBS students from the 2018 academic session; however, except for AIIMS Raibareli, others have yet to start even OPD services. A senior Ministry official said that currently, less than 60 per cent positions are filled in 6 regional AIIMS institutions and recruitment of faculty is a big task. Therefore, certain measures have been introduced like inviting retired professors from top health institutions, visiting faculty from abroad for up to 2 years and NRI doctors to join these institutions.