Kerala’s Health Minister, Veena George, clearly stated on Saturday that the state should not be denied an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) due to ongoing discussions about its proposed location. She highlighted that the much-anticipated project is merely awaiting a final political decision from the Central government.
Minister George recalled that both the current Union Health Minister, J.P. Nadda, and his predecessor, Mansukh Mandaviya, had previously shown positive reception to Kerala’s long-standing demand for the premier medical institution. Mandaviya had even explicitly stated that Kerala ‘definitely deserved’ an AIIMS.
Addressing the persistent disagreements regarding the institute’s placement within the state, Ms. George firmly asserted that such internal debates should not impede the progress of the project. ‘Only a political decision from the Centre is pending now, and that decision should be taken at the earliest,’ she urged.
The Minister reiterated that the establishment of an AIIMS has been a significant and continuous demand from the people of Kerala. Her remarks followed recent comments from Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas and Tourism, Suresh Gopi, who publicly called for the AIIMS to be situated in the Alappuzha district.