Centre sets 3-month deadline for completion of work on Odisha AIIMS

Reported by Santosh Jagdev

Bhubaneswar, Aug 3:

To establish All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar in Odisha as one of the most advanced institute among the six new AIIMS centres in the region with immediate effect, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MHFW) has issued a directive asking all concerned officials to complete all work on departments and centres of excellence within three months.

Setting a deadline, the MHFW has asked the Director of AIIMS, Bhubaneswar Prof AK Mahapatra and his teams to complete all its work before 20 December, 2014 so that it is dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 25, the birthday of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

“All package contractors must deploy more manpower and other resources. They must work round the clock (multiple shifts) and complete the work in all respects on time. Ministry can use the process of blacklisting the delinquent contractors if they default,” the circular said.

The directives have been issued following announcements made by Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan during his visit to AIIMS Bhubaneswar last month. While announcing AIIMS Bhubaneswar to be the best among all new AIIMS, even better than AIIMS New Delhi, he had disclosed plans for establishment of the four 100-bed independent Centres of Excellence.

This apart, the Minister had also announced the early completion of Satellite Centre of AIIMS at Balasore. Construction work of the School of International Public Health and a 300-bed multi-specialty hospital under the satellite centre should be completed within 18 months and so, he had said.

Moreover, all contractors engaged have been issued with an ultimatum to fulfil their contractual obligations and complete work by the set deadline.

The Centres of Excellence planned at AIIMS Bhubaneswar campus are Mental Health and Neurosciences, Oncology, Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery and Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation.

This apart, the institute will have departments of Ayush, including Yoga Therapy, Training and Environmental Health and Occupational Medicine and Geriatric Medicine at its campus here.

For construction of these centres and opening of departments, the State Government has already identified and allotted 50 acres of land adjacent to the AIIMS campus. The institute would get additional land soon from the Government as assured by Odisha Chief Minister in a meeting with MHFW recently, the circular has added.