Reinstating its commitment to ensure high quality healthcare services to patients across the spectrum, the central government has set apart Rs.5000 crore for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Apart from that, the government also announced its decision to set up four new AIIMS in Andra Pradesh, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.
From the allotted funds Rs.900 crore will be dedicated for each AIIMS to be functional at the earliest. The government also informed that the six new AIIMS like institutions situated in Bhopal, Patna, Jodhpur, Rishikesh, Raipur and Bhubaneswar have already started its functions and that in the future they plan to add one AIIMS like institution in each of the states.
While delivering his maiden budget, finance minister Arun Jaitley announced that they will provide free drug and diagnostic services to needy patients along with establishing 12 new government medical colleges plus dental facilities across the country. To ensure availability of high quality drugs to the patients the Center will be providing funds to set up new drugs and food testing labs across the country apart from supporting with funds to modernise and technically upgrade the 31 existing labs. The Centre for the first time has decided to set up 15 new rural healthcare regional centers to address the lacunae in addressing the healthcare needs of the patients in the far-flung region of the country.
With a view to inspire and encourage new entrepreneurs to take up good projects, the government has set up a committee for MSME and has allocated Rs.10,000 crore for the same. Further the FM promised to set up three dedicated biotechnology parks in Pune, Kolkatta and Mohali through the public private partnership (PPP) route and stressed that there needs to be more PPP with private and foreign institutes to encourage biotechnology in the country.