The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for a proposal for establishing three new AIIMS at Vijaynagar, Samba, Jammu at a cost of Rs 1,661 crore; Awantipura, Pulwama, Kashmir at a cost of Rs 1,828 crore; and Rajkot, Gujarat at a cost of Rs 1,195 crore.
Commenting on this, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda said, “Setting up of new AIIMS would not only transform health education and training but will also address the shortfall of health care professionals in the region. The establishment of new AIIMS will serve the dual purpose of providing super specialty health care to the population closer to their homes, while also help create a large pool of doctors and other health workers in this region that can be available for primary and secondary level institutions or facilities being created under National Health Mission (NHM),”
He added, “Construction of new AIIMS is fully funded by the central government. The operations and maintenance expenses on new AIIMS are also fully borne by the central government.”
The Minister stated that each new AIIMS will add 100 UG (MBBS) seats and 60 B. Sc (Nursing) seats, and the new AIIMS will have 15-20 Super Specialty Departments.
“Each new AIIMS will add around 750 hospital beds. As per data of current functional AIIMS, it is expected that each new AIIMS would cater to around 1,500 OPD patients per day and around 1,000 IPD patients per month,” he mentioned.
Terming it historic, the Union Health Minister further said that setting up new AIIMS in the states will lead to employment generation for nearly 3,000 people in various faculty and non-faculty posts in each of the AIIMS.
Indirect employment generation will take place due to facilities and services like shopping centre, canteens, etc. coming in the vicinity of new AIIMS.
“The construction activity involved for creation of the physical infrastructure for the various new AIIMS is also expected to generate substantial employment in the construction phase,” Health Minister Nadda stated.
