Spotlight

New Delhi, 20 February 2007

UPGRADING 13 MEDICAL COLLEGES TO AIIMS LEVEL

NEW DELHI, February 21 (INFA): As many as 13 Medical Colleges in the country have been identified by the Union Ministry of Health for their upgradation to the level of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

The Institutes are: Govt. Medical College, Jammu; Govt. Medical College Srinagar; Kolkata Medical College; Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow; Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow; Institute of Medical Sciences, BHU, Varanasi; Nizam Institute of Medical Institute, Hyderabad; Sri Venkateshwara Institute of Medical Sciences, Tirupati; Govt. Medical College, Salem; Patliputra Medical College & Hospital, Dhanbad; B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad, Bangalore Medical College; Grants Medical College & Sir J.J. Group of Hospitals, Mumbai; and Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram.

The upgradation of these Colleges has already been approved by the Union Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA).

The estimated cost for upgradation of each medical institute is estimated at Rs.120 crore, out of which the Union Government assistance will be limited to Rs.100 crore. Respective State Governments will contribute Rs.20 crore as their contribution to the capital cost of upgradation of one medical institute.

The State Governments will also provide specialist manpower and supporting staff and meet the recurring expenditure for running the upgraded facilities, including manpower and maintenance and replacement of upgraded facilities.

The management of the institutions proposed to be upgraded will continue to be under the control of the concerned State Governments.

Preliminary Project Reports have been apprised in respect of all medical institutions, except Dhanbad. The Government of Jharkhand has been asked to reconsider Ranchi Medical College for upgradation instead of Patliputra Medical College, Dhanbad.

The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has been requested to expedite finalization of concept plan for Jammu Medical College by 25.1.2007 and DPR by 15.2.2007.  As regards the civil construction at Trauma Centre at Srinagar Medical College, the technology to be adopted for the civil works would be analyzed and decided by the CPWD.

Besides these 13 upgraded medical colleges, six other AIIMS institutions are proposed to be set-up. The sites and other details for three institutes are being finalized by the Union Health Ministry.

Each of these six AIIMS will be established on a minimum of one hundred acres of land which would be provided free of cost and facility for road connectivity, water and electricity supply.---INFA