MADURAI: After nearly five years of delay, the construction work for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Madurai is set to commence on Wednesday. The project is expected to be completed in 33 months. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation at Thoppur in 2019, the project remained a nonstarter due to the Covid-19 pandemic and other issues.
According to an official release from Madurai AIIMS Director, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), a leading global construction company, has been awarded the Letter of Acceptance (LoA) by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) for the construction of the project on March 4, 2024.
Following a meeting with AIIMS Madurai officials about the project, the letter was officially issued to the company by the Executive Director & CEO of AIIMS Madurai. The release said the institute aims to provide high-standard healthcare, comprehensive medical education, and innovative research.
AIIMS Madurai is designed to become a premier medical institution in south India, enhancing the healthcare landscape through excellence and innovation.
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The institute will have a state-of-the-art OPD, IPD, emergency unit, auditorium, medical college, nursing college, hostels and residential complex for staff. The facility will be a comprehensive medical institution in Madurai city for medical services and medical personnel, and will also promote other academic activities. A quality tertiary care hospital with 900 beds will be established as part of the project that will serve 5,000 outpatients per day. The project aims to improve access to high-quality medical service and offer cutting edge academic facilities to more than 1,500 healthcare professionals and researchers who will contribute to universal health coverage in India, the release said.
The project will not only enhance the healthcare infrastructure in Tamil Nadu but also create numerous jobs contributing to the economic development of the region. The comprehensive medical services and research facilities will attract medical professionals and students from across the country and around the globe, the CEO said.
Through a comprehensive partnership, JICA is providing financial assistance through ODA loan and grants for the construction and development of the facility. 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 specialized training programmes for medical and administrative personnel, facilitated through exchanges with Japanese institutions known for their excellence in healthcare. The project also exemplifies the union government’s commitment to bridging the healthcare gap in the region, ensuring every citizen has access to the best medical care, the release said.
Reacting to the development, Madurai MP Su Venkatesan said the commencement of construction work after five long years is purely an election stunt by the BJP. He also questioned why the PM did not inaugurate the work during his recent visit to Madurai.