Centre Rejects All Four Proposed AIIMS Sites in Kerala Under PMSSY

Quick Summary

• None of the four sites proposed by Kerala for establishing an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the state, including one in Ernakulam district, has been approved under the current phase of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
• The proposed sites included Kinaloor (Kozhikode), Kattakada taluk (Thiruvananthapuram), Kottayam, and Ernakulam.
• Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, shared this data while responding to questions from MPs hibi Eden, M.K. Raghavan, and E.T. Mohammed Basheer in Parliament.
• To date, 22 AIIMS have been sanctioned across India under PMSSY.
• Though, three medical college hospitals in Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical college Hospital (MCH), TD MCH Alappuzha, and Kozhikode MCH-have received approval for upgradation through super-speciality blocks on a Center-State cost-sharing basis under another PMSSY component.
• Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) in Thiruvananthapuram will also be upgraded with a super-speciality block funded jointly by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and the Department of Science & Technology.

Indian Opinion Analysis
The non-inclusion of KeralaS proposals for an AIIMS under this phase underscores challenges some states face when competing within national developmental priorities like PMSSY allocations. While it’s notable that alternate healthcare infrastructure projects such as upgrading existing medical college hospitals have been approved to address advanced medical needs locally, missing out on an AIIMS may impact Kerala’s long-term aspirations toward positioning itself as a high-tier medical hub.

The upgrades at institutions like Thiruvananthapuram government MCH reflect tangible progress but serve different scales compared to standalone AIIMS establishments recognized nationally as centers of excellence. As 22 other locations across India reap benefits through prior sanctioning mechanisms within PMSSY phases over time – central-local engagement clarity inclusivity regard sustenance will define repeated State outreach.mlongterm Multiplier