Tamil Nadu, Telangana to get AIIMS

The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of two new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Tamil Nadu's Madurai and Telangana's Bibinagar.

The new AIIMS in Madurai will be established at a cost of Rs. 1,264 crore while in Bibinagar the Institute would be set up at a cost of Rs 1,028 crore under Pradhan MantriSwasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), read a statement from the Union government.

The cabinet has also given its approval for creation of one post of Director in the basic pay of Rs 2,25,000/- (fixed) plus NPA (however pay + NPA would not exceed Rs 2,37,500/-) for each of the above two AIIMS.

According to the official statement, the establishment of new AIIMS involves the creation of hospital, teaching block for medical and nursing courses, residential complex and allied facilities/services, broadly on the pattern of AIIMS, New Delhi and other six new AIIMS taken up under Phase-I of PMSSY. The objective is to establish the new AIIMS as Institutions of National Importance for providing quality tertiary healthcare, medical education, nursing education and research in the region, the statement added.

The proposed institution shall have a hospital with a capacity of 750 beds which will include emergency or trauma beds, AYUSH beds, private beds and ICU Specialty and Super Specialty beds. In addition, there will be a Medical College, AYUSH Block, Auditorium, Night Shelter, Guest House, Hostels and residential facilities.

The establishment of the new AIIMS will create capital assets for which requisite specialised manpower will be created, based on the pattern of the six new AIIMS, for their maintenance and upkeep, the statement said. The recurring cost on these institutions shall be met through Grant-in-Aid to them from Plan Budget Head of PMSSY of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The timeframe for the establishment of the new AIIMS in Tamil Nadu and Telangana will be 45 months, broadly comprising a pre-construction phase of 10 months, a construction phase of 32 months and stabilisation/commissioning phase of three months.

According to the official statement, setting up new AIIMS in the states will lead to employment generation for nearly 3000 people in various faculty and non-faculty posts in each of the AIIMS. The construction process of the hospital will also provide employment to the people.

The AIIMS in Tamil Nadu was announced in the Budget Speech of Finance Minister in 2015-16 and Ministry of Finance conveyed its in-principle approval for the establishment of AIIMS in Telangana in April 2018.