New Delhi, Feb 3 (NationPress) The Central Government has made it clear that there is no initiative to set up a new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Jabalpur or any other location within the Mahakaushal region of Madhya Pradesh.

This statement was issued by Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav in a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

In reply to inquiries from Congress MP Vivek K. Tankha regarding the potential establishment of a prestigious AIIMS-like institution in the Mahakaushal area, especially in Jabalpur—which acts as a major hub for tribal and underprivileged districts—the minister noted that under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), 22 AIIMS have been sanctioned across various states and Union Territories.

This includes a functioning AIIMS in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The minister asserted that no new AIIMS is planned for Jabalpur under this scheme.

Rather, the focus is on enhancing current facilities. The PMSSY has approved the upgrading of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose (NSCB) Medical College in Jabalpur through a Centre-State funding model. This upgrade includes the establishment of a 206-bedded Super Speciality Block with six operating theatres and seven specialized departments: Neurology, Neurosurgery, Nephrology, Urology, Cardiology, Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS), and Neonatology.

The project has been completed, significantly improving tertiary care capabilities in the region. To further medical education and address healthcare deficiencies, the government has backed new institutions under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme for setting up medical colleges linked to district or referral hospitals.

The Chhindwara Institute of Medical Sciences has been established in Chhindwara, and another medical college in the Mandla district of the Mahakaushal region has received approval. Additional measures to strengthen healthcare include increasing the number of seats at existing colleges.

As part of the initiatives to enhance government medical colleges, 100 undergraduate (MBBS) seats have been sanctioned for NSCB Medical College, Jabalpur, and 50 for Chhindwara Institute of Medical Sciences. Furthermore, 57 postgraduate seats have been allocated for NSCB Medical College, Jabalpur.

The minister also addressed the challenges of doctor and specialist shortages, clarifying that public health is primarily a state responsibility. For AIIMS Bhopal, of the 312 sanctioned faculty positions, 239 are currently filled, while there are 3,874 non-faculty positions, with 2,910 filled, as stated in the response.

To alleviate healthcare delivery issues in tribal and rural areas of Mahakaushal, interim measures under the National Health Mission are providing financial and technical support to states to improve access for vulnerable populations.

Under the Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), 50-bedded Critical Care Blocks have been approved at a unit cost of Rs 23.75 crore each for medical colleges or district hospitals in Jabalpur, Katni, Narsinghpur, Seoni, Chhindwara, Balaghat, Mandla, and Dindori.

These efforts aim to enhance the availability of specialists and tertiary healthcare without establishing a new AIIMS, focusing instead on upgrades, expansions, and targeted infrastructure in underserved regions.