Minister assures AIIMS branch for Dharwad

 The Karnataka government will propose to the Centre to establish a branch of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Dharwad.

Dinesh Gundu Rao, Dharwad district in-charge minister, made the announcement while delivering the Independence Day address here on Saturday.

In July, the government had stated in the legislature that four places — Herohalli in Ramanagar, Itagatti near Dharwad, district hospitals in Vijayapura, and Kalaburagi  — have been identified for housing the AIIMS unit. Rao, however, said the super-speciality hospital would come up at Mummigatti near Dharwad if the Centre gave its nod.

The Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) has identified 200 acres in Mummigatti to set up the hospital. The availability of land and facilities have been conveyed to the Medical Education Director for pursuing with the Centre. The State government will impress upon the Centre to sanction the AIIMS branch for Dharwad, he said.

Earlier, Minister of State for Medical Education Sharanprakash Patil said that on the direction of the Centre, the State was ready to provide 200 acres of land with infrastructure for opening an AIIMS-like institute. The Dharwad district administration had prepared a blueprint for the institute. But he said the government was not averse to locating the proposed institute at the ESI medical college in Kalaburagi.