The names that are understood to have figured in the shortlisted five include Dr V K Paul, HOD paediatrics; Dr Randeep Guleria, HOD of pulmonary medicine and sleep disorder; Dr S C Sharma, HOD of ENT; Dr Balram Bhargava, Professor Cardiology and Dr Subrata Sinha, Director of National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), Manesar.
"These five shortlisted names will now be placed before the Institute Body, the top decision making body at AIIMS, on January 28. It will select one name and send it to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by the Prime Minister for the final approval," said a senior Health Ministry official.
Apart from Health Secretary Mishra, who was the chairperson of the panel, the committee comprised Prime Minister's Principal Scientific Adviser R Chidambaram, Secretary in Department of Health Research Soumya Swaminathan, Director General of Health Services Jagdish Prasad and Vice Chancellor of Delhi University Yogesh Tyagi.
AIIMS had last month recommended a search-cum-selection committee headed by Union Health Minister J P Nadda which was rejected by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
53 eminent doctors, including 35 from outside AIIMS, have applied for the post.
The current Director of AIIMS Dr M C Mishra is slated to retire on January 31.