Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday urged the Union government to set up an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the southern state without further delay. His comments came at an event in which Union Health Minister Bharati Pawar was also present. Vijayan, while inaugurating the super speciality block at the Government Medical College hospital in Alappuzha, said the health indices of the state are ‘at par with the developed nations’ of the world.
“Considering the achievements of Kerala in the health sector, the Centre should establish an AIIMS in the state. Kerala has achieved the top positions in any health indice in the country. We have even identified land to set up the AIIMS at Kozhikode. The Centre should set up the hospital without any delay,” Vijayan said.
He said the health sector in Alappuzha will get a boost with the opening of the new super speciality block at the medical college. Vijayan further said that if AIIMS was set up immediate steps would be taken to appoint necessary doctors and other staff. He added that the setting up of the super speciality block is an example of federalism in the country.
The super speciality block was constructed using a fund of Rs 120 crore sanctioned by the Centre and Rs 53.18 crore sanctioned by the state government. “Kerala has converted the primary health centres in the state to family health centres and as a result, all sections of the society have now started relying on the government medical facilities for the treatment,” Vijayan said.
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