By : Mohan Verma
Narendra Kumar Modi government refused to convert Indira Gandhi Medical College and hospital into All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), turning down the demand of state government on the pretext that no running institutes would be converted into the AIIMS in the country.
Revealing this to media on Tuesday, Himachal Pradesh Health Minister Mr. Kaul Singh Thakur said that he had received a letter from Union Health Minister Dr. Harsh Vardhan Chauhan on Monday rejecting state demand to convert IGMC into AIIMS.
“Centre would not like to change any running medical college or health institute into AIIMS in the country and if Himachal government wants to set up an AIIMS in the state it should send the consent to offer 200 acre piece of land along with its approved map so that centre would lay out budget in next year for the same,” Mr. Thakur said quoting Union Health Minister’s letter in the press conference on Tuesday.
We have about 150 acre chunk of un-stilted land near upcoming ESI medical hospital in Mandi district and if centre would agree to it the department would send its proposal to the centre, Mr. Thakur who is former HPCC chief said.
During last UPA rule Mr. Thakur also held a meeting with former Union health minister Mr. Ghulam Nabi Azad proposing for grant AIIMS status to IGMC but now it had been turned down by the present NDA government.
After the meeting with center on June 29, 2013, Himachal Pradesh Health minister had stated that IGMC is to be upgraded on the analogy of AIIMS under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Sewa Yojana (PMSSY).
Premier health institute in the state, Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), formerly known as Himachal Pradesh Medical College (HPMC) was established in 1966 and have about 100 MBBS and about 50 post-graduate seats.
