Kerala MP Kodikunnil Suresh slams Centre for denying AIIMS to State
The Mavelikara MP said he had raised a question in the Lok Sabha on August 8, seeking details from the Centre regarding the steps taken to establish an AIIMS in Kerala, the locations proposed by the State, and any feasibility studies conducted for central or southern Kerala.
'The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav informed the House that Kerala had proposed four sites for AIIMS at Kinaloor in Kozhikode, Kattakada in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam and Ernakulam. However, the Minister admitted that none of these proposals have been approved in the current phase of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY),' Mr. Suresh said.
He said that while the government had sanctioned super-speciality blocks at Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), Alappuzha MCH, Kozhikode MCH, and Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, these measures were no substitute for a full-fledged AIIMS.
'It is deeply disappointing that Kerala, with its exceptional health indicators, dense population, and strategic importance, remains one of the few States without an AIIMS. The Centre must end this neglect and include Kerala in the next phase of AIIMS expansion without delay. Our people deserve direct access to world-class medical education and advanced healthcare within the State,' Mr. Suresh said.
He urged the Union government to prioritise Kerala in AIIMS allotment, pointing out that such an institute would significantly reduce patient migration, relieve the burden on existing hospitals, and strengthen medical research in the State.
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