Central govt considering upgrading NIMS to AIIMS

Health Minister says the Centre set up a committee to look into the issue

Hyderabad: Telangana Health Minister C Laxma Reddy on Saturday said that the Central government had constituted a committee to study the proposal sent by State government to upgrade Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) at Bibinagar into All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

In a reply to a question raised by MLAs Pailla Shekar Reddy, G Sunitha and others during Question Hour in Legislative Assembly on Saturday, the Minister said the State government was waiting for the Centre’s nod to go ahead with the establishment of AIIMS at Bibinagar. He said of 210 acres required for the AIIMS, about 150 acres were already available with the NIMS. Another 60 acres would be procured after the Central committee approved the Rs 822 crore project. He said the proposed AIIMS would be a 960-bedded hospital with 42 Specialties.

BJP MLA C Ramchandra Reddy said the Bibinagar NIMS was sanctioned by the then Chief Minister Dr YS Rajashekar Reddy in 2008. He allotted 200 acres of land and released Rs 78 crore while sanctioning the works to Nagarjuna Constructions. However, he said the project was not yet completed. He asked when the Centre was willing to sanction one AIIMS, as per the AP Reorganisation Act, why the government had decided to upgrade the Bibinagar NIMS instead of setting up the AIIMS at a different place in the State.

T Jeevan Reddy of Congress said the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government was not seriously pursuing the project. He said the government was yet to act on the promise of setting up 100-bedded super specialty hospitals in all district headquarters. He said no step had been taken to upgrade Public Health Centres and Urban Health Centres.

BJP legislator NVSS Prabhakar said setting up of AIIMS in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation limits would have benefitted people from all neighbouring districts.