AIIMS Rajkot is rapidly establishing itself as the primary healthcare anchor for the Saurashtra region of Gujarat, with critical surgeries more than doubling — from 861 in 2024 to 1,927 in 2025 — since its super speciality hospital became fully operational in February 2024. The institute has collectively treated more than 8.5 lakh patients since inception, increasingly functioning as a referral centre for complex and specialised care across the region.

Scale and Services

Spread across nearly 200 acres, AIIMS Rajkot currently offers 22 speciality and six super speciality medical services under a single roof. The institute's foundation stone was laid in December 2020, and its super speciality block became operational in February 2024. Around 180 critical surgeries are now performed every month, according to figures released by the institute.

Advanced procedures in neurosurgery and urology — previously requiring patients to travel to Ahmedabad or other metropolitan centres — are now available locally. Officials attributed the surge in surgical volumes to the availability of modular operation theatres, intensive care units equipped with life support systems, and specialised departments capable of handling complex procedures.

Affordability at the Core

A key differentiator for the institute is its cost structure. Patients are required to obtain a registration card costing just ₹10, after which they can consult doctors across any department throughout the year. In cases of accidents and medical emergencies, patients receive completely free treatment during the first 24 hours of admission.

Diagnostic services including CT scan and 3 Tesla MRI are available at rates significantly below private-sector benchmarks. Patients from middle-income and economically weaker sections have particularly benefited, according to those visiting the facility.

Mayuri Morjaria, a patient at the institute, said she received timely treatment and found the hospital facilities accessible. Another patient, Shraddha, said: 'The availability of multiple departments and doctors at one location had made treatment easier for patients travelling from outside Rajkot.'

What the Administration Said

Dr L. N. Dorairajan, Executive Director of AIIMS Rajkot, emphasised that the institute was working to strengthen advanced healthcare delivery while ensuring treatment remained affordable for patients. Officials noted that the electronic medical record system — developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) — now allows doctors to access patients' medical history, diagnostic reports, and treatment records digitally, reducing the need for patients to carry physical files.

Expanding Medical Education

Beyond clinical services, AIIMS Rajkot is also scaling its academic capacity. From the 2025-26 academic year, the number of MBBS seats has been increased from 50 to 75, signalling a broader institutional mandate to address the region's long-term healthcare workforce gap.

With surgical volumes rising sharply and patient registrations growing, AIIMS Rajkot's trajectory suggests the Saurashtra region's dependence on distant urban hospitals for tertiary care is beginning to ease.