Health Ministry releases gazette on AIIMS Madurai establishment

Madurai: The Central Government has recently issued a gazette notification towards the establishment of AIIMS Madurai which is set to ramp up the medical services in the state once functional.

According to the gazette released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), "In exercise of the powers conferred by the proviso to sub-section (1) of section 3 of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences Act, 1956 (25 of 1956), the Central Government hereby establishes the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences at Madurai in the State of Tamil Nadu."

This will accelerate the work of the AIIMS Hospital in Madurai.

Read Also: AIIMS Madurai to be functional by 2022

The then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who filed the federal budget in 2015, had said that AIIMS would be set up in five states, including Tamil Nadu and Punjab. Subsequently, the meeting was held in Tamil Nadu. It was decided to set up an AIIMS hospital at Thoppur near Madurai and a notification was sent to the Government of Tamil Nadu.

Earlier in 2018, it was announced that the AIIMS hospital will be set up at 224.24 acres in Thoppur which comes under Thirupparankundram Assembly constituency in Madurai district.

Later, the Centre has earmarked Rs 5 crore for the initial works and the fund will be used to carry out the basic construction works of the hospital. Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone for Madurai AIIMS hospital in January 2019 at a cost of Rs 1264 crore. Subsequently, it was reported that the preliminary work was underway.

According to the recent media report, the site has already been cleared for construction of the building; however, proper construction activities have not started yet. Only one wooden door placed in between two poles is visible in the construction site for now. 

"This official notification by the central government is encouraging. This is a very special day for Madurai and the southern districts. I thank the Union ministry of health Madurai" MP Su Venkatesan said in a statement issued on Friday, reports TOI.

Chief co-ordinator of the AIIMS for Madurai Movement V S Manimaran also expressed his satisfaction over the announcement and stated that this will give the people of Madurai a hope that a hospital may soon get organized in the area as well. He further added "We know that the AIIMS in Madurai is to be constructed with a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the building would be constructed 45 months after the release of the loan. Hence steps should be taken to obtain the loan for the hospital without much delay".

The official gazette notification is attached below: