The Central Government has confirmed that there are no intentions to establish a new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Jabalpur or the Mahakaushal region of Madhya Pradesh. Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav clarified this in response to questions in the Rajya Sabha. Under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), 22 AIIMS have been approved in various states and Union Territories, with one operational AIIMS in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
Efforts are being channeled towards enhancing existing facilities rather than setting up new AIIMS. The government has focused on upgrading the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose (NSCB) Medical College in Jabalpur under PMSSY. This includes the construction of a 206-bedded Super Speciality Block with various specialized departments to improve tertiary care services in the region.
To bridge healthcare gaps and boost medical education, the government has supported the establishment of new medical colleges attached to district or referral hospitals. The Chhindwara Institute of Medical Sciences in Chhindwara has been established, and approval has been granted for another medical college in the Mandla district of the Mahakaushal region.
Under schemes for upgrading government medical colleges, additional undergraduate and postgraduate seats have been sanctioned for NSCB Medical College, Jabalpur, and Chhindwara Institute of Medical Sciences. The government is also addressing shortages of doctors and faculty, emphasizing that public health is primarily a state subject.
In a bid to improve healthcare access in tribal and rural areas of Mahakaushal, interim measures under the National Health Mission are providing financial and technical support. Critical Care Blocks have been approved under the Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission for medical colleges or district hospitals in various locations, aiming to enhance specialist availability and tertiary healthcare services without the need for a new AIIMS.
