DMCH will be upgraded to AIIMS-like institution: Minister

PATNA: Ending a three-year-old controversy over selection of location for the proposed second AIIMS unit in Bihar, the Centre on Saturday agreed to upgrade the Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) to the level of AIIMS.
Responding to a fervent request made by CM Nitish Kumar during a health department’s event on the premises of Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) here, Union minister for health and family welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda assured the state government that the DMCH would be upgraded to an AIIMS-like institution.
Union finance minister Arun Jaitley had announced establishment of a second AIIMS unit in Bihar, besides the existing one in Patna, in his 2015-2016 Budget speech. However, the matter remained pending as the Centre had refused to accept the state government’s proposal to upgrade the DMCH to the level of AIIMS.
Nitish, Nadda, Union minister for information technology Ravi Shankar Prasad, Union minister of state for health and family welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey, deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, state’s health minister Mangal Pandey and others had gathered at the PMCH to lay foundation stone for establishment of a superspecialty block under phase-4 of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna.
“The superspecialty block at PMCH will be built with an expenditure of Rs 200 crore. Similar blocks will come up at Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Gaya and Bhagalpur,” principal secretary (health) Sanjay Kumar said.
The CM urged Nadda to either upgrade the DMCH as the second AIIMS or open one AIIMS each in all 38 districts of Bihar. “People are demanding establishment of second AIIMS in all districts. It is difficult for the state government to select a particular district for opening the second AIIMS. The Centre should take a call on this,” Nitish said.
The CM said since Ashwini Choubey hails from Bhagalpur, he wants to open the second AIIMS at Bhagalpur. ““Being the second best hospital in Bihar after Patna Medical College and Hospital, the DMCH should be upgraded to the level of AIIMS. The DMCH also has an area of more than 200 acres. Since the first AIIMS of Bihar has been opened in Patna, the south of river Ganga, the second AIIIMS must be opened in north Bihar and Darbhanga is the most ideal location,” Nitish said.
The CM lauded the works being done by state health minister Mangal Pandey and principal secretary (health) Sanjay Kumar for improvement of health services in the state.
“Ever since Mangal Pandey took over as health minister and Sanjay Kumar as the department’s principal secretary, projects are being executed at a faster pace. They have expedited many projects and started working for upgrading the PMCH to a world-class hospital,” Nitish said.