Guwahati, March 23: The Assam government is contemplating inauguration of the under-construction All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Changsari on the outskirts of the city on April 14.
“The Prime Minister will be coming to Assam on April 14 and take part in the historic Bihu event at Sarusajai. At the same time, subject to the Prime Minister’s consent, we are looking at the inauguration of AIIMS-Changsari on the same day, for which I have visited the campus today,” Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told mediapersons on the premises of AIIMS at Changsari
“We will take a decision in the coming days and confirm,” Sarma said after reviewing the status of various infrastructure facilities at AIIMS-Changsari, including the out-patient department (OPD), auditorium, waste disposal and connecting roads.
Earlier this month, health minister Keshab Mahanta and chief secretary Paban Kumar Barthakur reviewed the work of the medical institution and directed the authorities to complete the construction work by March 31, 2023.
It may be recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone of the premier institute on May 26, 2017.
The chief minister informed that almost 84 percent physical construction of the healthcare facility has been completed.
“The OPD is already functional. By April 14, a 150-bed in-patient department (IPD) will be ready. Apart from the IPD building, the other departments are currently operational,” he said.
“Three batches of students each are currently undergoing classes. The fourth batch will take admission in April-May,” the chief minister said.
Notably, the academic activity for the first batch of 50 MBBS students started in January 2021.
Later in a tweet, Sarma stated, “It’s our great privilege that Adarniya PM Shri Narendra Modi ji will soon inaugurate AIIMS Changsari, which will give a huge boost to healthcare in the North East. Reviewed status of its various infrastructure facilities including OPD, auditorium, waste disposal and connecting roads.”
The institute will have a 750-bed hospital with more than 25 specialty and super-specialty departments.
This is apart from the outpatient services and the diagnostic services. There will also be a separate facility for providing services under AYUSH.