The Union Health Ministry will soon seek Cabinet’s approval for its proposal to set up AIIMS — like institutions in poll bound States-Uttar Pradesh (Gorakhpur) and Punjab (Bhatinda).
Sources in the Ministry told The Pioneer that as Assembly elections are slated in the two crucial States next year, all efforts are being made to ensure that at least foundation stones are laid at Bhatinda and Gorakhpur at the earliest to initiate initial construction work for proposed super specialty hospitals.
The Ministry will move a note before the Union Cabinet in this regard soon for the premier projects to be set up under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
The Ministry has already cleared 111 acres of land at village Mahadev, Jharkhandi tehsil, Sadar Gorakhpur for the Rs 900-crore project encompassing setting up of the 750-bedded hospital besides medical college and other related infrastructure. There’s a proposal to add more beds in the later stage.
As for AIIMS Bhatinda, sources said, it will be spread over around 170 acres is in Malwa region which is badly grappling with cancer. It is hoped that the premier medical institute will prove to be a boon for patients not only in this part of the State but also from neighbouring Haryana and Rajasthan by providing quality and affordable treatment.
The Punjab Government has already acquired around 170 acres from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), ludhiana.
However, the two AIIMS- like projects in Awantipora in Pulwama district in Kashmir and Vijaypur in Samba district in Jammu may have to wait in view of the ongoing unrest in the valley.
late last year, the Union Cabinet had cleared proposals to set up three new AIIMS at Nagpur in Maharashtra, Manglagiri in Andhra Pradesh and Kalyani in West Bengal at a cost of Rs 4,949 crore.