Srinagar, Nov 5: A batch of 100 MBBS students will soon begin academic activities at AIIMS Awantipora, while its Outpatient Department (OPD) services are expected to become functional by the end of November, Health and Medical Education Minister Sakina Itoo said on Thursday.
She said the commencement of academic activities and OPD services would mark a significant step towards operationalising the prestigious healthcare institution and strengthening advanced medical facilities in Kashmir.
Sakina made the announcement while speaking to reporters after Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda reviewed the progress of AIIMS Awantipora during his first visit to the institution in the Valley.
She said Nadda conducted a detailed review of the ongoing construction work and directed the concerned officials to expedite the remaining works to ensure that the institution becomes functional at the earliest.
The minister said it was a matter of great satisfaction that the Union Health Minister, who had earlier announced 50 MBBS seats, had now announced that 100 students would soon begin their studies at AIIMS Awantipora.
She said the commencement of OPD services would make a substantial difference to patients across Kashmir, who currently have to travel long distances to access advanced healthcare facilities.
Sakina thanked Nadda for taking a personal review of the project and directing officials to accelerate its completion.
She also acknowledged the efforts of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who, she said, had visited the site several times over the past two years to monitor the progress of the project. She said she had accompanied the Chief Minister during these visits to ensure that the institution was completed and made operational at the earliest.
Earlier, Nadda visited AIIMS Awantipora in Anantnag district, where he reviewed the progress of the project and interacted with officials and staff associated with its construction. He directed the concerned authorities to fast-track the remaining construction work and ensure early operationalisation of the institution.
AIIMS Awantipora is being developed as a 750-bed tertiary healthcare facility and medical teaching institute under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) as an Institution of National Importance.
The project was approved around 2019, with construction commencing in November 2020 at an estimated cost of Rs 2,160 crore.
The institution comprises approximately 57 buildings and blocks, including the main hospital, academic facilities, hostels, residential quarters, sports facilities and medicinal plant gardens.
AIIMS Awantipora has a planned annual intake capacity of 100 MBBS students and 60 nursing students. Its services are being introduced in phases, beginning with OPD facilities, diagnostic laboratories and other core medical services.
