MLAs from Saurashtra, Vadodara squabble over housing AIIMS

During a discussion on the issue, Congress MLA from Lathi Virji Thummar said the AIIMS should be set up in Rajkot as it will help the people of the entire Saurashtra region.

He said Vadodara, the other contender, is a developed city having various health facilities. In comparison, Rajkot and Saurashtra lack good medical facilities and the AIIMS there will help fill that gap.

Congress MLAs Harshad Ribadiya and Vikram Madam (both from Saurashtra) also demanded that the AIIMS to allocated to Rajkot.

BJP MLA from Raopura (Vadodara) Yogesh Patel, however, pitched for his city, saying as it is located in central Gujarat and 60 percent of the state's population can benefit if the hospital comes up there. Other Vadodara MLAs supported him.

Nitin Patel, who also handles the health portfolio, urged MLAs not to make it a regional issue and let the Centre decide on the place.

"The Centre will think twice before giving AIIMS to Gujarat. What is important is to have an AIIMS in Gujarat. The people of the state can benefit from it wherever it comes up.

"Patients from Rajasthan and even Madhya Pradesh come to the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital for treatment," the deputy chief minister told the house.

Speaking in Parliament in December 2017, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey had said, "the Gujarat government had offered sites (for establishing an AIIMS). A central team has inspected these sites and submitted a report.