AIIMS work to be complete before December 25

The construction work of All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS)-Bhubaneswar will be completed before December 25 this year, Union Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan said here today.

He promised quick steps to complete unfinished work and open new facilities at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar. Efforts would be made to strengthen the infrastructure and make it better and more advanced than AIIMS, New Delhi to fulfill the dreams of former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who had mooted the project, he said.

“I want to see AIIMS-Bhubaneswar develop into the most modern hospital in India, bigger and better than AIIMS, Delhi,” Dr Harsh Vardhan said at a press conference today, ending his two-day trip to the state.

Steps are being taken to open new departments like mental health and neurosciences, cancer, cardiothoracic and cardiac surgery and occupational medicine at AIIMS, Bhubaneswar, he added. “The remaining work of the institute will be taken up with accelerated pace to make it an ultramodern medical centre,” the Union Home Minister had earlier said on Saturday.

During his trip, the minister directed the AIIMS, Bhubaneswar officials to expedite the process of completion of basic facilities for the institute so that it can be dedicated to the country on the birth anniversary of BJP’s first Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee on December 25.

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is expected to visit the state on the occasion and dedicate it to the people.

After his visit to Puri, the minister said, steps would be taken to upgrade the infrastructure of Puri district headquarters hospital in Odisha before the Nabakalebara festival scheduled next year. Steps have also been taken to open a special trauma care unit in the hospital for treatment of patients injured in road accidents, he added.

“Apart from modernizing Puri hospital, we would direct the state government to give special focus on upgrading all the Public Health Centres (PHC) of Puri and Bhubaneswar from the assistance provided under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM),” he said at a press meet.

He, however, said that the Centre is committed to the development of health sector in the state.

“More investment is being considered for Odisha as the state has the potential to be the leading health services destination in eastern India. The state can be developed as a model in eastern India. We will provide all assistance to the state,” said the minister.

He expressed concerns over of high rate of infant mortality rate in Odisha and the lack of state government’s effort in creating more health centres. He criticised the state government’s failure in meeting the target of adequate number of primary health centres to provide better health service to the people in the state.

“Even though Odisha has successfully reduced the infant and maternal mortality rates in recent years, the rates are still higher than the national average and steps need to cut it down further. Besides, the number of primary health centres is still below the target, which is hampering the health services in the state,” Vardhan told the media persons.

State seeks Rs 500 Cr for medical colleges
The state government has sought an allocation Rs 530.55 crore from the Centre for upgrading facilities at the three government run medical colleges keeping in view  the increase in number of seats in these colleges.

In a meeting with the Union Health Minister, Harsh Vardhan, Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik urged him to take steps to open a geriatric centre at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.

Patnaik requested the Union minister to expedite the process of Regional Institute of Paramedical Sciences, setting up of National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), opening up of more auxiliary nursing and midwifery (ANM) and general nursing midwifery colleges etc.

A satellite campus of AIIMS would be set up at Balasore with a 300-bed hospital and necessary measures would be taken to expedite it, said Vardhan after meeting the Chief Minister.