Srinagar – November 6: Setting strict operational timelines to accelerate healthcare infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J.P. Nadda on Wednesday directed executing agencies to operationalize Outpatient Department (OPD) services at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Awantipora before December 2026, while mandating a firm deadline of March next year to conclude all remaining construction works.
Arriving in Srinagar on an official review visit, the Union Health Minister undertook a comprehensive assessment of the premier medical facility’s civil infrastructure, equipment procurement, academic preparedness, and clinical staffing. Nadda underscored that the timely commissioning of AIIMS Awantipora will vastly improve tertiary and specialized medical care across the region, bolstering healthcare capacity and drastically reducing the need for local residents to travel to metropolitan centres outside Jammu and Kashmir for critical treatment.
According to the project trajectory outlined during the deliberations, comprehensive inpatient services (IPD) are slated to commence in July 2027 upon full completion of physical infrastructure. Meanwhile, formal academic activities, including the maiden batch of MBBS students, are scheduled to begin during the 2027–28 session commencing in June–July 2027.
Project officials apprised the Union Minister that major construction packages are entering their final stages despite difficult topographic terrain and weather challenges. Crucial Phase-I infrastructure—including the OPD Registration Block, main OPD Block, designated student hostels, and staff residential quarters—has been successfully constructed, with formal inventory verification and site handovers currently underway.
To ensure diagnostic and clinical readiness prior to receiving patients, Nadda instructed HITES and the Institute’s Executive Director to expedite the procurement of advanced medical machinery, laboratory instruments, and specialized clinical furniture. Officials confirmed that procurement approvals have been sanctioned for 180 critical medical equipment items worth Rs 59.41 crore, with Notices of Award already executed for 140 items. Simultaneously, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has sanctioned essential manpower sanctioning 652 non-faculty and support positions, alongside 150 security personnel, as faculty recruitment continues on priority.
Speaking on the sidelines of the review, Jammu and Kashmir Health Minister Sakeena Itoo stated that AIIMS Awantipora is poised to offer 100 MBBS seats in the near future. She noted that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has closely tracked the mega-project’s trajectory, emphasizing that the institute will emerge as a transformative healthcare beacon, particularly for the residents of South Kashmir and adjoining valleys.
During the meeting, Minister Itoo also submitted an urgent humanitarian representation to Union Minister Nadda, requesting central intervention to facilitate the early repatriation of the mortal remains of Adnan Ahmed Rather, a final-year MBBS student from Sopore who recently passed away in Bangladesh. Handing over the student’s credentials, Itoo appealed for immediate central diplomatic assistance to aid the grieving family, to which Nadda assured swift coordination with the concerned ministry to ensure the body is brought back without delay.
Published by True Roots Media