Four new AIIMS to come up

New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) The Indian government will set up four new All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the country with a corpus of Rs.500 crore, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Thursday.

"A plan to set up four more AIIMS like institutions at Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Vidarbha in Maharashtra and Poorvanchal in Uttar Pradesh is under consideration," he said in his budget speech.

"It is a matter of great satisfaction that all the six new AIIMS at Jodhpur, Bhopal, Patna, Rishikesh, Bhubaneswar and Raipur ... have become functional," he added.

"I propose to set aside a sum of Rs.500 crore for this."

The idea to have AIIMS-like institutes was approved by the Manmohan Singh government in 2006. It was proposed in 2003 by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government.

The aim is provide good medical facilities at affordable rates in cities that don't have such medicare and also ensure quality medical education.

The AIIMS here has emerged as north India's best government hospital with over 1,800 beds. It treats over 9,000 people daily.

Jaitley also the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government wants to ensure health for all.