'PM to inaugurate AIIMS Bilaspur in 2nd week of Sept'
Bilaspur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate an All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Bilaspur district of poll-bound Himachal Pradesh in the second week of September, sources said. The PM is also scheduled to visit the state as the assembly elections are due there later this year.
"Keeping eye on the declaration of the assembly elections and as the Model Code of Conduct comes into force immediately, the programme has been scheduled in the second week of September," an official said. Chief Minister Jairam Thakur has also called a review meeting this week with the directors of AIIMS, Bilaspur and government officials to take a status of the final touch of the Rs. 1,500 crore project. AIIMS, Bilaspur is an institute that was officially approved under Phase V of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) by the Union Cabinet on January 3, 2018.
The Institute was approved to be established over a span of about 247-acre (99.96 hectares) of land on National Highway 205 (Shimla - Kangra road), in the village of Kothipura of the Bilaspur district.
It is believed that premium medical institutions will help in the availability of affordable tertiary healthcare services and augment facilities for quality medical education in the country. While speaking to the Millennium Post, Executive Director, AIIMS, Bilaspur, Dr Vir Singh Negi said, "It intends to develop new and improved patterns of teaching in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education in all its branches so as to demonstrate a high standard of medical education to all medical colleges and other allied institutions in India."
Earlier, on October 3, 2017, PM Modi had laid the foundation stone of AIIMS, Bilaspur. The work on the site started in June 2019. This project is being developed in 3 phases. Presently development is taking place in phase-I wherein, the medical institution is going to be a 750-bedded hospital with 15-20 super speciality departments equipped with all modern facilities. To further enhance healthcare delivery, AIIMS Bilaspur is likely to focus on the super-speciality departments in subsequent phases to provide affordable and reliable tertiary-level healthcare in the state and adjoining states - Punjab and Haryana.
A total of 89 faculty members have joined so far and are currently working at the institute. 10 senior and 15 junior residents have also been recruited. Additionally, 12 senior residents and 25 junior residents were selected in the recent recruitment. 155 nursing officers are working at the institute. Professor cum Principal for the Nursing College has also been recruited along with 7 nursing tutors. Additionally, recruitment is under process for 2 associate professors and 03 assistant professors for nursing college.
The academic and administration block has pre-clinical departments of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry and para-clinical departments of Pathology, Pharmacology, Microbiology, Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, and Community and Family Medicine with well equipped, labs, museum, seminar-cum-library rooms, demonstration rooms, offices etc. Four lecture halls with a seating capacity of 120 each, with demonstration rooms and a student's laboratory of pre and para-clinical departments are ready.
The College of Nursing and Paramedical Sciences will be operational in the existing night shelter building with an intake capacity of 40 BSc nursing, 10 BSc MLT, 5 BSc Dialysis Technology and 5 BSc Radiology and Imaging Technology students, from this month.
Officials said AIIMS Bilaspur OPD is currently functioning since the first week of August. After the inauguration of the hospital, initially, IPD services will be started with 150 beds, which will subsequently be increased to 750 beds in a phased manner over the next year.
There are a total of eight hostels. The nursing hostel is yet to be completed.
The medical institution has been established under the AIIMS Act with the objective of developing high standards of medical education in undergraduate teaching, postgraduate teaching, training of medical personnel in all important branches of health activity; and attaining self-sufficiency in postgraduate medical education.
