NEW DELHI: Taking a cue from educational institutes in India and abroad, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is planning to build a museum of archives to preserve the momentous memories of the apex institute and showcase its journey from starting as a mere hospital to turning into a top healthcare institution of the country.
According to an office memorandum (OM), the institute has set up a committee for the collection, maintenance and establishment of the “Museum of Archives” at the hospital. “These archives are a witness to the past and explain historical actions and rationale behind current decisions. They assist the coming generations in adapting to the Institute’s culture and align their objectives with those of the organization,” the institute said in the OM.
Officials said that the committee members will reach out to all previous directors and retired faculty members and would interview them to register their achievements, which have been a part of the institute’s legacy. “Apart from the interview, the outreach exercise will also include sharing (on request) the mementoes and acknowledgement, of all those who have been a crucial part of the AIIMS’ history, they received for their extraordinary work in the field of medical science while being associated with the institute,” a senior official said.
“The archives will be maintained at the institute’s library while the path-breaking achievements will be part of the museum. Besides, all the archives will be digitized and hosted on the official website of the AIIMS,” he added.
Officials said that the move was taken after observing that many prominent educational institutes have built a museum which tells their history, evolution and the legacy they have established.