AIIMS for Kozhikode: Kerala Govt awaits final approval

Kozhikode: Amidst apprehensions from the Union government in approving the project of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Kozhikode, the Kerala government has expressed its determination to acquire sanction for the same while pinning hopes on several meetings scheduled by the end of September.

The state is currently in the process of acquiring lands from the local residents of Kinalur and Kanthalad villages for the project, with 150 acres of government land already being approved for the same. 

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Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar in the parliament said that the AIIMS Kerala project was not approved in the current phase of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana. 

There are also apprehensions associated with a recent notification released by the NMC regarding the allocation of medical colleges in the States which has mandated 100 MBBS seats for a population of 10 lakh. Kerala, with a population of around 3.5 crore has 21 medical colleges with 4,505 MBBS seats. 

K.V. Thomas, former Union Minister and the Kerala government’s special representative in New Delhi said that they have written to the Union government regarding this issue and he had discussed the issue during a recent meeting with the Union Health Secretary. Speaking to The Hindu, he said, "A conference of State Health Ministers and officials has been planned in Kochi later this month. I have requested the Union Health Secretary to hold a meeting with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan during the event." 

In an upcoming meeting with the Union Health Minister in New Delhi, Thomas might take up the issue of the AIIMS proposal. The Kerala government is expecting a favourable response by the end of September or October. He said that four states, including Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are on the list of states waiting for the approval of AIIMS. 

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