Minister for Health and Medical Education, ARI and Trainings, Chaudhary Lal Singh on Wednesday said that All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) would come up at Awantipora in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district after the site gets a final go from Centre.While inspecting the picturesque site, measuring around 200 hectares at Awantipora along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, Lal Singh said that government has completed all the formalities in both the regions as far as the setting up of AIIMS was concerned. The Minister said that the project needs a final go from the Union Ministry. He also informed that Union Health Minister J P Nadda is likely to come over to have a visit to the sites in the State.The Minister discussed the project threadbare with health and revenue officers and informed that the Union Government has approved Rs 1900 Crore for up-gradation of healthcare facilities and construction of new hospitals across the State and Rs 3000 Cr for construction of two AIIMS in Kashmir and Jammu.
Lal Singh said that the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had asked the State Government to identify suitable sites for setting up of AIIMS in Jammu and Srinagar. He said that in Jammu region, two sites were proposed from two different places while as in Kashmir, only one site, Awantipora was suggested to the Centre government. He said that in this regard revenue officers in both the capital cities were directed to identify suitable land sites for construction of AIIMS.“Setting up of AIIMS in both the regions would be a major development in the healthcare system of the State,” he said. “This will give new fillip to overall healthcare,” he added.
The Minister was accompanied by Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Dr Asgar Samoon, DG ISM, Dr Kabir, Mission Director, Dr Mohan Singh, Director Health Services, Kashmir, Dr Sameer Mattoo, MD Medical Supplies Corporation, Dr Yashpal Sharma , among other senior Revenue and health officials of the State.Meanwhile, the Minister said that for the establishment of five new medical colleges in Kashmir and Jammu, Government has identified suitable land for the projects, adding that the construction work on projects shall be started after completion of tendering formalities.The Minister said that government was working on a comprehensive plan to upgrade health infrastructure in a phased manner in rural as well as remote areas of the State.He said health and medical departments has set new benchmarks during the past seven months and tangible transformation was being duly acknowledged by the masses under the sector. He said Government has evolved an effective mechanism to ensure improved healthcare facilities in the State, he said adding that, all healthcare institutions especially in rural and far-off pockets were being equipped with advanced diagnostic and other facilities besides adequate staff.