AIIMS Patna will be fully functional by 2018: Choubey

New Delhi, Oct 11 (IANS) Days after reportedly criticising Biharis coming to the AIIMS here even for minor ailments, Union Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey on Wednesday announced that eight new departments including emergency at AIIMS Patna will be functional by February 2018.

He also said that currently 50 per cent of people with complicated diseases are being treated at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Patna, but he wants to make it 90-100 per cent.

"By February of 2018, eight new departments will be ready in AIIMS Patna and five other places which are functional. Emergency Department is one of them. As far as AIIMS Patna is concerned, 50 per cent of the Biharis with complicated diseases are being treated at the hospital, however, we want to make it 90-100 per cent," said Choubey in his first media briefing after taking over the charge.

The other five AIIMS, which have become operational are in Jodhpur, Rishikesh, Bhopal, Raipur and Bhuwaneshwar.

According to Choubey, Patna AIIMS will also have its Post Graduate courses commencing from July 2018.

"Patna AIIMS will have its PG courses from July 2018. Currently all the six AIIMS which are operational have intake of 100 MBBS seats and 60 BSC Nursing students," said Choubey, adding that the faculty recuritment is also in process and soon all the six AIIMS will have its doctors in full strength.

Choubey had raked a controversy after he was quoted by the media saying that people of Bihar are unnecessarily crowding AIIMS, Delhi even for minor ailments which can be treated at home and that reportedly he had said that he had instructed its director to turn away such patients.

Choubey, who was earlier Bihar Health Minister, said that the government has also simplified the grant, known as revolving fund, given to AIIMS and other hospitals for the treatment of economically weaker patients.

"We had given a revolving fund of Rs 90 lakh to AIIMS Delhi. Similarly, we have also started given revolving fund of Rs 10 lakh to six new AIIMS, including AIIMS, Patna," he said.

He also announced that Rs 70 crore is being invested to set up e-classrooms in different medical colleges including AIIMS, Patna. The e-classrooms will be committed to facilitating medical teachings from one medical college to another.

"One National Resources Centre will be set up in Lucknow as part of the e-learning initiative and seven regional centres in other states," said Choubey.

The minister also informed that they are planning to connect every hospital in India, especially AIIMS through tele-medicine by 2019.