IMS BHU will be transformed into AIIMS -like institute at cost of Rs 616 crore: Niti Ayog Official

Unlike AIIMS, which are autonomous bodies, IMS BHU will be the first super speciality hospital that will be governed by the BHU Act and not AIIMS Act to provide top class medicare to patients in and around Varanasi, which is also the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

New Delhi: The Institute of Medical Sciences BHU will soon become an AIIMS-like institution with the government going ahead with a proposal to upgrade the IMS facilities at an estimated cost of Rs 616 crore by 2019-20, said a senior Niti Aayog official.

The official further said that the Centre wants to improve governance of IMS and give it more functional and financial autonomy.

"The Centre wants to transform IMS BHU to apex institute like AIIMS and it will invest a total of Rs 616 crore in 2018 -19 and 2019-20 for creating more super speciality health facilities and increasing number of beds in the institute," the official told PTI.

Read Also: BHU Cardiologist sits on Hunger Strike demanding separate AIIMS

An MoU was exchanged on August 4, 2018, between the ministries of HRD, Health and Family Welfare and the UP government for upgrading the IMS-BHU to the level of AIIMS here.

The country has witnessed fourteen new AIIMS across different states in the last four years and BHU is the only varsity to get AIIMS like an institution, Union Health Minister Nadda had said at the time of the signing of the agreement, adding it will be governed according to the BHU Act.

Read Also: IMS-BHU upgraded to the status of AIIMS

As per the agreement, IMS-BHU will get 700 additional beds and super specialty health facilities, and also assured that the institute will not face any financial problems for its upgradation into AIIMS like an institution.

Unlike AIIMS, which are autonomous bodies, IMS will be the first super speciality hospital that will be governed by the BHU Act and not AIIMS Act to provide top class medicare to patients in and around Varanasi, which is also the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Improving healthcare and establishments of an AIIMS in eastern Uttar Pradesh was a key poll promise by Modi in 2014.