Gujarat’s Health Minister, Rushikesh Patel, announced that on February 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the inaugural All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rajkot, marking a significant milestone for the state. This event will see the prime minister unveiling five AIIMS, including Rajkot’s, to the nation. Patel shared details with the media in Gandhinagar, highlighting that Modi will launch the in-patient department (IPD) of this cutting-edge super-specialty hospital situated in the outskirts at Para Pipaliya village near Rajkot, complementing its already functional outpatient department (OPD).
The foundation of AIIMS Rajkot was laid by Modi through a video conference in December 2020. Spanning 201 acres, this state-of-the-art facility boasts 720 beds, including those for ICU and super-specialties. The inauguration will cover 250 IPD beds, a 30-bed AYUSH block, and 23 operating rooms, with plans to gradually make more beds available. Patel noted that the OPD has served around 1.44 lakh patients to date, with the hospital’s construction costing Rs 1,195 crore.
A government notice revealed Modi’s schedule, including a speech at a rally in Rajkot’s Race Course field, followed by a roadshow. Additionally, Modi will kickstart four more AIIMS located in Kalyani (West Bengal), Bathinda (Punjab), Rae Bareli (Uttar Pradesh), and Mangalagiri (Andhra Pradesh), at the event.
These five super-specialty hospitals, inclusive of the Rajkot AIIMS, represent a Rs 6,300 crore investment by the central government. Modi is also slated to lay the foundation for projects worth Rs 48,000 crore spanning various sectors such as highways, railways, energy, and health, with Rs 35,700 crore allocated for projects in Gujarat. Among the key projects Modi will announce are a new cardiology center in Vadodara, an expansion of the Rajkot-Surendranagar railway line, the Mundra Panipat crude oil pipeline, and energy projects in Kutch.
