The much-delayed work for the six AIIMS-like institutions under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) is expected to begin by September this year, even as the Centre has sanctioned setting up of two more such institutions aimed at improving the healthcare delivery in the tertiary sector.

The design consultants were selected for preparation of designs and the detailed project reports (DPRs) have been submitted for medical college and hospital complex. Project consultants have also been appointed at all sites and work is expected to start in September, 2009 and get completed by the end of 2011.

Health Ministry sources said the availability of faculty and medical staff would be key to efficient running of these institutions. The work of construction of residential complexes has, therefore, been taken up on priority basis and work has started at all six Sites. These sites should be ready for commissioning by the end of 2010.

Under the second phase of the PMSSY, the government will set up two more such institutions in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Each institution will have a 960 bed hospital ( 500 beds for the medial college hospital; 300 beds for speciality/super speciality; 100 beds for ICU / accident trauma; 30 beds for physical medicine and rehabilitation and 30 beds for Ayush) intended to provide healthcare facilities in 39 speciality/super-speciality disciplines.

Medical College will have 100 UG in-take besides facilities for imparting PG/doctoral courses in various disciplines, largely based on Medical Council of India (MCI) norms and also nursing college conforming to Nursing Council norms. Estimated cost of each AIIMS- like institution is Rs 823 crore, official sources disclosed.

According to the original plan under the PMSSY, six AIIMS like institutes were approved in 2006 with the objective of correcting regional imbalance in the availability of affordable and reliable tertiary healthcare services and also to augment facilities for quality medical education in the country. During the current Eleventh Plan, the government had earmarked Rs 3955 crore for the purpose.