AIIMS, French Embassy join hands

The All-India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) will hold its first public health and medical innovation conclave on Friday in association with the French Embassy and the France-based FAM-Medical Academy Foundation.

AIIMS spokesperson Dr. Amit Gupta said the collaboration will facilitate co-operation between specialists in medical science in accordance with the laws, rules and regulations of the two nations and within the limits of financial resources of each party.

Under this partnership, the organisers will also hold joint seminars and workshops in either country on domains of mutual interest and increasing opportunities of co-operation amongst stakeholders by way of sharing knowledge.

J&K govt decides to set up AIIMS in Pulwama district

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday said it has decided to set up the proposed All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Awantipora in Pulwama district of South Kashmir.

Minister for Health and Medical Education Chaudhary Lal Singh said the location has been decided and the project needs a final go ahead from the Union Ministry.

Mr. Singh made the announcement while inspecting the picturesque site, measuring around 200 hectares at Awantipora along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, an official spokesman said.

He said the government has completed all the formalities in both the regions - Kashmir and Jammu - as far as the setting up of AIIMS was concerned.

“The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare had asked the state government to identify suitable sites for setting up of AIIMS in Jammu and Srinagar regions,” he said.

He also said that Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda is likely to visit the sites in the state.

The Minister discussed the project threadbare with health and revenue officers and told that the Union government has approved Rs 1,900 crore for up-gradation of healthcare facilities and construction of new hospitals across the State and Rs 3,000 crore for construction of two AIIMS in Kashmir and Jammu.

The Minister said that in Jammu region, two sites were proposed from two different places. In Kashmir, only one site, Awantipora was suggested to the Centre.

Revenue officers in both the capital cities were directed to identify suitable land sites for construction of AIIMS.

“Setting up of AIIMS in both the regions would be a major development in the healthcare system of the state,” he said.

Country’s first AMRIT outlet at AIIMS

Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda launched the country’s first Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) programme, here on Sunday. The programme is aimed at lowering treatment cost of cancer and cardio-vascular diseases. The country’s first AMRIT outlet has been inaugurated at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) where drugs will be sold at highly discounted rates.

“We have identified 202 drugs of cancer and cardio-vascular diseases where the price is going to be reduced on an average by 60 to 90 per cent,” said Mr. Nadda.

Under the programme, 148 cardiac implants will be given from the centre and sold here and their cost will be reduced by 50 to 60 per cent.

“This is a pilot project which we have started at AIIMS. After 15 days, we are going to review the programme and in the coming times, will try to replicate it in all Central government hospitals,” the minister added.

AIIMS to start research on diabetes in pregnant women

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi has teamed up with The George Institute for Global Health to conduct research that will explore whether a lifestyle modification program can delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in South Asia.

The research involves conducting a random trial of lifestyle modification program to determine whether it can be applied and affordably brought to scale in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India.

“It has been shown in research settings that healthy diet and physical activity aimed at weight reduction can delay or prevent the development of diabetes in women with GDM, but we do not know how to best achieve such behavioural changes,” said Professor Nikhil Tandon, head of the Department of Endocrinology at AIIMS.

Professor Anuskha Patel, chief scientist of The George Institute for Global Health and Professor of Medicine at the University of Sydney, said that if the intervention is found to be effective and scalable, the development of Type 2 Diabetes could be delayed or prevented in more than a quarter of a million young South Asian women over a five-year period.

Type 2 diabetes is the world’s fastest growing chronic disease. Over 347 million people have diabetes with more than 80 per cent of them living in low-middle income countries.

GDM is diabetes that develops during pregnancy. The placenta makes hormones, which help the baby to grow and develop. GDM occurs because these hormones also block the action of the mother’s insulin. The hormones of pregnancy cause resistance to the actions of insulin and lead to higher blood sugar levels in women who are at risk of diabetes.

Previously thought to be a relatively benign condition, it is now known that having GDM puts women at high risk of subsequently developing Type 2 diabetes – a condition that needs lifelong treatment and is associated with a number of serious complications.

Under the auspices of the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases (GACD), the Indian arm of the research is being supported by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), while the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council is funding the research in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

According to a release issued by AIIMS the GACD grants will make an enormous difference in treating, preventing and managing Type 2 Diabetes, especially in areas with limited resources and poor access to essential healthcare.

Cabinet approves setting up of 3 new AIIMS

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved proposals for setting up three new All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Nagpur (Maharashtra), Manglagiri (Andhra Pradesh) and Kalyani (West Bengal) under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY) at a total cost of Rs 4,949 crore. 

Each of the proposed AIIMS will have a hospital with a capacity of 960 beds along with a teaching block, administrative block, auditorium, nursing college, night shelter, hostel and residential facilities. These institutes will also have a separate block for traditional system of medicines - Ayurveda, unani, siddha and homeopathy. 

"Setting up of these AIIMS will address regional imbalances in availability of affordable and reliable tertiary health care services in these regions. It will augment the facilities of quality medical education and would also address the shortfall of health care professionals in these regions," Union Minister Piyush Goyal said while briefing media after the Cabinet meet. 

Of the total expenditure of Rs 4949 crore, the cost of the new AIIMS at Manglagiri in Andhra Pradesh will be to the tune of Rs 1618 crore, at Nagpur in Maharashtra of Rs 1577 crore and at Kalyani in West Bengal of Rs 1754 crore. 



Goyal said the new AIIMS will be established as institutes of national importance for providing quality medical education, nursing education and also to provide tertiary healthcare facilities to the people of these locations. The large populations of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra (Vidarbha) and West Bengal along with adjoining states and region will be benefitted from this project. 

While six new AIIMS under the PMSSY have been made functional, the construction of AIIMS, Rae Bareily, is under progress. 

This latest Cabinet approval is in accordance with the announcement made by Union Finance Minister in his Budget Speech 2014-15 to establish new AIIMS at these places