Nadda announces projects worth Rs 178 crore at AIIMS Bilaspur, lauds renal transplant centre facilities

New Delhi/Shimla: Union Health Minister J P Nadda on Friday announced infrastructure projects worth Rs 178 crore for AIIMS Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh and lauded its state-of-the art renal transplant ICU and facility which recently became operational.

During his visit to the premier Centre-run hospital in Bilaspur, Nadda visited the high-end facility, according to an official statement by the health ministry.

He interacted with the first renal transplant recipient who had recently undergone a surgery there and the donor and enquired about their health; both are recovering well, the release said.

Interacting with reporters in Bilaspur, Nadda said it has been decided that AIIMS Bilaspur would do the hand-holding of four medical colleges in the state located in Mandi, Hamirpur, Nahan and Chamba for strengthening these institutions.

He said a faculty exchange programme would also be introduced to provide better training to doctors in the state and the plan would be ready soon.

Nadda stated that "the commencement of renal transplant services at AIIMS Bilaspur marks a notable milestone in the history of the institute and will fill a long-standing void in availability of transplant services in Himachal Pradesh".

The health minister said the renal transplant facility will act as a catalyst for establishment of multiorgan and bone marrow transplantation services in the near future and is expected to assist 50-100 patients each year, in addition to raising awareness about organ donation.

"With this life-saving therapy available inside the state for those in need of kidney transplants, an initial grant of Rs 2 crore has been sanctioned which will immensely help the poor and needy who lack resources for such costly treatment," he added.

Nadda said that the announced funds of Rs 178 crore would be spent on 72 dwelling units, undergraduate student hostels, lecture halls for the college of nursing and allied health sciences, and a solar rooftop power plant, according to the statement.

He also announced procurement of a PET-CT machine at a cost of Rs 22 crore, which is undergoing installation besides setting up a Regional VRDL (Viral Research and Diagnostic Laboratory) in AIIMS Bilaspur at a cost of more than Rs 18 crore.

The minister informed that 29 posts of assistant professors for Anaesthesiology have been created, apart from 98 non-faculty posts of various categories. He added that filling up of these posts will enable round-the-clock functioning of labs as well as proper utilisation of sophisticated equipment, leading to effective functioning of operation theatres.

Later in the day, he chaired a high-level meeting to review the operations at AIIMS Bilaspur and evaluate the implementation of important healthcare initiatives, the release said.

Anurag Thakur, MP (Lok Sabha), Jai Ram Thakur, former chief minister and Himachal Pradesh Leader of Opposition, and senior officials from Union health ministry and the state government were also present during the review meeting, it said.

The authorities of AIIMS Bilaspur proposed for integration of its drone and ambulance services with the district health resources to effectively reduce the time taken to transfer patients and medical samples from remote locations, it added.

During the review meeting, Nadda praised the remarkable growth of AIIMS Bilaspur since its foundation was laid by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 3, 2017.

He said significant milestones were achieved by the institute, including the successful start of telemedicine services in May 2021, which has since helped over 20,000 patients across Himachal Pradesh. OPD, radiology, and diagnostic facilities were opened in a limited capacity.

With 614 students now studying in various undergraduate, postgraduate and super-specialty medical courses, B.Sc. (Hons)(Nursing) and B.Sc. (Allied Health Sciences) courses, the Union Minister expressed satisfaction with AIIMS Bilaspur's dedication to medical education and research.

It is anticipated that the launch of PhD programmes next year would enhance AIIMS Bilaspur's scholarly contributions to medical research, the statement said.

AIIMS Bilaspur is equipped with 250-bed inpatient services, emergency and trauma care services, and advanced diagnostics like MRI and CT scans.