Punjab: AIIMS opens up 11 OPD services in Bhatinda

Giving a sigh of relief to the patients, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) based at Bhatinda, Punjab, operationalised at least 11 Outpatient Department (OPD) services on Monday.

The OPD services which began include- General Medicine, Gynae and Obstetrics; General Surgery including consultation in surgical oncology, urology and pediatric surgery, Orthopedic, ENT, Ophthalmology, Psychiatry, Dermatology, Dental, Basic Radiology (X-Ray, Ultrasound and colour Doppler), Basic Biochemistry; Hematological tests; and medicines at discounted rates through AMRIT pharmacy.

"AIIMS Bhatinda will be fully functional by June 2020 and PGI Chandigarh is the mentor institute supporting it. First Batch of 50 MBBS Students of AIIMS Bathinda has been started from the academic year 2019-20 in Baba Faridkot University," said Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Health Minister after the inauguration.

The operationalisation of the OPD services today will immensely benefit the people of Bhatinda and the nearby regions with high quality and affordable medical services, Dr Vardhan said.

In 2016, the Cabinet approved the proposal for the establishment of AIIMS at Bathinda in Punjab at a cost of Rs 925 crores on July 27.

The number of AIIMS hospitals have now increased to 21 and work is also progressing on setting up 157 Medical Colleges mainly in the aspirational districts of the country to ensure that people here are provided superior health services, said the health minister.

The central government is upgrading 75 district hospitals, government medical colleges, and institutes with a view to offer tertiary health infrastructure and medical facilities.