MADURAI: Work on the construction of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) officially started at Thoppur village in Madurai on Tuesday, after the environmental clearance (EC) was issued by the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Tamil Nadu. The work is likely to be completed within 33 months.
According to an official release from Madurai, the AIIMS director said the construction work began with a ceremonial event, which was attended by key officials of AIIMS and L&T, the construction company. The phase one of the project, with medical college, hostels, IPD, OPD, emergency block and other essential services is set to be completed within 18 months, while the entire project is expected to be completed within 33 months.
Speaking to TNIE, AIIMS Madurai executive director Hanumantha Rao said that once the construction of a medical college and hostels for boys and girls is completed, they plan on shifting the students of the three batches, currently accommodated at the Medical College Hospital in Ramanathapuram.
In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for AIIMS Madurai at Thoppur.Owing to Covid-19 and other issues, the commencement of the project was delayed by many years. After nearly five years, construction work began on March 5 but was soon halted as environmental clearance was not obtained.
The project’s construction will be carried out through a comprehensive partnership, with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) providing crucial financial assistance. A key aspect of JICA’s involvement is the capacity-building initiatives designed to elevate the standard of medical education and healthcare delivery. This includes specialised training programmes for medical and administrative personnel, facilitated through exchanges with Japanese institutions renowned for their excellence in healthcare.