By October next year, Gujarat's Rajkot is all set to get its own All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). The foundation for AIIMS Rajkot was laid almost two years ago on December 31, 2020, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
OPD services have been underway since December last year and the construction of the hospital is expected to be completed in time for a full launch of the hospital in October 2023. OPD services are being run by 14 specialist doctors and the 13 departments of General Medicine, General Surgery, Ophthalmology, ENT, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Dermatology, Orthopedics, Pediatrics, Radiology, Community and Family Medicines, Anesthesiology, Psychiatry and Pulmonary Medicines are already functional. Dentistry is expected to join that list soon. AIIMS Rajkot is expected to be a 750-bedded hospital with multiple specialties as well as super-specialty departments. Of the 750 beds, 30 beds will be for the Ayush department, apart from the wellness clinic that is already in place.
AIIMS Rajkot's Director, Dr Chandan Dev Singh Katoch, claimed that the hospital is serving about 100 patients every day. "We are expecting the number to increase in coming months as the local administration has provided bus services from the city to the hospital," he said. In a statement to IANS, Katoch said, "The project cost of construction is about Rs 1,195 crore which includes an allocation of Rs 185 crore towards state-of-the-art medical equipment. The Gujarat government has allotted about 201 acres of land for the project and taken care of access roads, water facilities and provision of electricity connection."
A department for a super-specialty centre will be decided upon by the government soon for the hospital, said Rajkot District Collector Arun Mahesh Babu.
