PATNA, Sept. 13 -- Brig Dr Raju Agarwal, 57, a veteran gynaecological oncologist with over three decades of experience in the Indian Army, has been appointed the new executive director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, on September 8, cleared his name along with seven others to head AIIMS institutes at Bathinda, Bibinagar, Bilaspur, Deoghar, Kalyani, Raebareli and Rajkot. Speaking to Hindustan Times over phone from Lucknow, Dr Agarwal said he would formally join AIIMS Patna after receiving the appointment letter. "I will join AIIMS Patna as soon as I receive the government orders," he said. Outlining his priorities, he stressed, "Patient care will be paramount. No patient should be refused treatment. Our existence as doctors is because of patients. I also want to see AIIMS Patna emerge among the top medical facilities in the country." On addressing the challenge of limited resources and high patient load, he said, "I will assess the situation from ground zero. With limited beds and a huge number of patients, we will have to prioritise admissions based on medical condition. Patient well-being will always remain the centre of attention. If beds fall short, we will pursue expansion." Asked about working in a politically sensitive state like Bihar, which goes to polls in the next two months, he said, "I am a professional and take everything positively. If the pressure is about patient care, I am all for it. As long as it is for a genuine cause, I am ready for it. I am not apprehensive of anything in Bihar." Dr Agarwal also dismissed concerns over adapting from military to civilian healthcare administration. "Adaptation will not be difficult. I have held several administrative positions and have also served in border areas. I am up to any challenge," he said. An alumnus of the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, he completed his MBBS in 1989 and postgraduation in 1997, before pursuing a fellowship in gynaecological oncology at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai (2003-05). During his 35-year service in the armed forces, he worked in leading military hospitals across Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata and Pune as gynaecologist oncologist. He has commanded a 440-bedded military hospital at Rorkee, before he became a Brigadier (medical) at Jalandhar, where he was the technical head of most of the 22 medical establishments of armed forces in Punjab. He has also served as head of gynaecology departments in command hospitals and continues to be an examiner for undergraduate, postgraduate and Diplomate of National Board courses. After taking voluntary retirement last year, Dr Agarwal joined the Career Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital in Lucknow as its principal and dean in October 2024. His new role at AIIMS Patna, he said, will be dedicated to strengthening patient-centric care and expanding the institution's reach....