Union cabinet approves AIIMS in Bhatinda ahead of Punjab elections

Months ahead of the upcoming Punjab assembly elections, the union cabinet on Wednesday approved the establishment of a new AIIMS at Bhatinda in Punjab under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).

The hospital with a capacity of 750 beds which will include Emergency/Trauma Beds, AYUSH Beds, Private Beds and ICU Speciality & Super Speciality beds. There will also be an Administration Block, AYUSH Block, Auditorium, night shelter, hostels and residential facilities.

The cost of the project for establishment of the new AIIMS in Bhatinda will be Rs925 crore. The recurring expenditure will be met by the respective new AIIMS from their annual budgets through Grant-in-Aid to them from Plan Budget Head of PMSSY of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

According to a press note, the project will be completed in a period of 48 months from the date of the approval. The Central Sector Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) was first announced in August 2003.

Under this scheme AIIMS have been established in Bhubaneshwar, Jodhpur, Raipur, Rishikesh, Bhopal and Patna while work of AIIMS Rae Bareli is in progress. Also, three AIIMS in Nagpur (Maharashtra), Kalyani (West Bengal) and Mangalagiri in Guntur (A.P) have been sanctioned in 2015.