Bhubaneswar: Writing a letter to the Secretary of Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Rajesh Bhushan Tuesday evening, Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy requested for establishment of second All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Sundargarh district.
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“Odisha presently has a fully functional AIIMS in Bhubaneswar, which has emerged as one of the leading AIIMS in the country in terms of medical education and quality health care”, the letter narrated.
“In view of health care requirements of the state, it is proposed that a second AIIMS may be considered for western Odisha in the district of Sundargarh. However, it will cater to a large number of tribal population in the region and help in providing quality tertiary care in the backward areas of western Odisha”, Tripathy wrote.
The Chief Secretary added that, there is available infrastructure for the purpose in Sundargarh district. A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was recently signed between the state government and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) authorities under CSR initiative to establish a medical college and hospital in the district.
Notably, including a proposal floated by another state which is under consideration, there is already a second AIIMS established in Bihar.
PNN