PM Modi lays foundation stone for AIIMS at Madurai

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stone for prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here and inaugurated modern facilities at three hospitals, including Madurai, in Tamil Nadu.

While the AIIMS will be constructed at a cost of Rs 1,264 crore, Modi inaugurated facilities worth Rs 450 crore in government hospitals in Madurai, Thanjavur and Tirunelveli.

The multi-speciality premier hospital, which is expected to start operations in two years, will have 20 super speciality departments and 750 beds. The medical college attached to AIIMS will also have 100 MBBS seats and 60 B. Sc (Nursing) seats.

Contending that AIIMS in Delhi has cultivated a brand name for itself in health care, Modi said with AIIMS in Madurai, one can say that this brand of health care has been taken to all corners of the country – from Kanyakumari to Kashmir to Madurai; and from Guwahati to Gujarat.

“The launch of Ayushman Bharat is also a big step. It is a carefully thought out approach to ensure achievement of universal health coverage for our country. Ayushman Bharat seeks to undertake path breaking interventions to holistically address health issues,” he said.

Though the Union Government is committed to elimination of Tuberculosis (TB) by 2025, the Tamil Nadu Government has scaled-up its TB Free Chennai initiative and seeking to eliminate TB in the state by 2023 itself.

“I compliment the state for their commitment towards implementation of all aspects of the Revised National TB Control Program. I assure that the Government of India stands committed for extending all necessary support for efforts of the state in tackling these diseases,” he said.

He also dedicated 12 Post Office Passport Sewa Kendras in Tamil Nadu. By laying the foundation stone for the AIIMS just a couple of months before the elections, the BJP is trying to make it a cornerstone of its campaigning. The party has been reaching out to the people by saying that the Modi government has brought numerous development projects to the state.