Dr Harsh Vardhan digitally inaugurates academic session of first MBBS batch of AIIMS Rajkot

New Delhi: Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare digitally inaugurated the Academic session 2020-21 of the first batch of MBBS students in AIIMS Rajkot, Gujarat in the presence of Sh. Ashwini Kr. Choubey, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Vijay Rupani, Chief Minister of Gujarat and Shri Nitinbhai Patel, Deputy Chief Minister & Health Minister of Gujarat.

AIIMS, Rajkot is being developed under the Phase-6 of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY). It will be a 750 bedded hospital with multiple speciality as well as super speciality departments. The Project cost of construction is about Rs. 1195 Crores, which includes an allocation of Rs. 185 Crores towards state-of-the art medical equipment.

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Congratulating the students of the first batch of MBBS in AIIMS Rajkot, Dr Vardhan said, "AIIMS, Rajkot in Gujarat is one amongst the several new AIIMS, conceived under the visionary leadership of Hon'ble Prime minister, Shri Narendra Modi ji. While the short-term objective of establishing new AIIMS in various parts of India is to reduce the gaps in affordable tertiary health care, the long-term vision is to generate wellness amongst the general population of India."

Reiterating the priority of the government to bridge the regional imbalance in healthcare services and to expand the facilities for medical education, Dr Vardhan noted, "Government of India's initiative in setting up new AIIMS in different States to promote regional spread of Super specialty health care and its accessibility, while simultaneous up-gradation of existing Medical Colleges set up 20 years ago, over the plan periods, was a concerted step in the direction of furtherance in reduction of gaps between the demand and supply of doctors as well as the hospital beds."

He continued, "AIIMS Rajkot shall have 125 MBBS seats, including the seats for EWS students. In addition, it shall have 60 Nursing students in due course of time. The Health Ministry is striving to achieve the WHO target of doctor-patient ratio of "1 for every 1000" by 2021. Our government has been making an honest endeavour to increase the overall availability of MBBS seats to 80,000 with the urgent aim to bridge the gap in requirement of doctors."

"From Academic Session 2013-14, the total number of MBBS seats in the six new AIIMS went upto 600, providing an opportunity to an additional 300 MBBS aspirants. With the addition of new AIIMS, like AIIMS Rajkot, in the year 2020, the overall availability of MBBS seats in the country has risen to 42,495 in Government Institutions," he added.

Shri Choubey said, "It is a matter of great happiness that AIIMS Gujarat is starting its first academic batch of MBBS students. This will be a landmark in the area of medical education in the state. During the COVID times, the contribution of our healthcare workers has been significant in controlling the pandemic."

At the end, Dr Vardhan said, "The doctors and health workers have been at the forefront of the country's struggle during the current COVID pandemic. The young and bright minds, who have chosen the profession of a Doctor are worthy of appreciation. I bless you all and wish you a successful career ahead."

Shri Mohanbhai Kundariya, Member of Parliament,Smt. Poonamben Madaam, Member of parliament, Dr. Amee Yajnik, Member of parliament, Shri Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary Health,Dr. P K Dave, President of AIIMS, Dr. Sanjeev Misra, Director, AIIMS Rajkot and other senior officers and dignitaries joined the event.

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