With the six new AIIMS-like institutions now closer to reality and works nearing completion, the Union Health Ministry has designated the existing premier medical institutions as mentor institutes for taking care of the affairs and put them on the track.


The civil construction works for the six new AIIMS-like institutions at Bhubaneswar, Patna, Jodhpur, Rishikesh, Raipur and Bhopal started in June last year and were progressing on fast track. The construction of medical colleges is expected to be completed by the end of 2011 and Hospitals by October 2012, sources said.


Ministry of Finance has accorded approval in February, 2011 for creation of 1145 posts (faculty and staff) for each institution to be filled up in the first phase of recruitment process. To manage the running of the new institutions, the Health Ministry has now appointed mentor institutes.


As per this, All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Delhi will be the mentor institute for the two new institutions at Patna and Bhubaneswar. Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh will take care of the two institutions at Rishikesh and Jodhpur. Jawaharlal Institute of Post-graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry will run the affairs of the two new institutions at Bhopal and Raipur, sources said.


The new institutions were planned under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) with a view to ensure better and wider medical care in the tertiary healthcare sector. The Union Government approved the scheme in March 2006 and each institution including nursing college was allotted Rs.840 crore. Another component of the PMSSY was the upgrading of the existing 13 medical colleges in different parts of the country. The total cost of construction of all six AIIMS-like institutions and upgradation of 13 existing medical college institutions is Rs.9307.62 crore.