Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the much-awaited All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Changsari on the outskirts of Guwahati city in Assam.
The 950-bedded hospital was built at a cost of Rs 1,126 crores. The foundation stone was laid by the Prime Minister in May 2017.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and other dignitaries were also present during the inaugural ceremony.
The institute is the first of its kind in the entire northeast and is touted to significantly boost the medical infrastructure here.
During the ceremony, he also virtually inaugurated three medical colleges at Nalbari, Nagaon, and Kokrajhar.
The medical college in Nalbari was built at a total cost of Rs 615.47 crores, while Rs 599.80 crore was spent for the construction of the medical college in Nagaon.
In Kokrajhar, the medical college was built at a cost of Rs 535.87 crores.
PM Modi had arrived in Guwahati earlier today. He was accorded a warm welcome at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
During his day-long visit, PM Modi is slated to start the distribution of Ayushman Card to state ration card holders today in a symbolic manner. The state government in its recent budget had emphasized the scheme of health insurance, titled Chief Minister Ayushman Asom, on the lines of the central government’s Ayushman Bharat scheme.
Ayushman cards will be prepared for 1.10 crore ration card holders. To mark two years of Himanta Biswa Sarma’s coalition government in state, the health scheme will begin on May 10.
PM Modi will then virtually inaugurate a world class research hospital at IIT-Guwahati. The hospital has been set up in a joint effort by the Government of Assam and IIT.
PM Modi will then reach Khanapara Veterinary Field from IIT-Guwahati in a helicopter and from there the he will head to Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra where he will attend a function at Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra. PM Modi will attend the closing ceremony of the Platinum Jubliee celebration of the Gauhati High Court at around 1.45 pm.
After that, PM Modi will then spend some time at Koinadhara Guest House before leaving for Sarusajai stadium, where he was earlier slated to witness the mega Bihu event with Assam eyeing a Guinness World Record for the largest Bihu performance in a single venue.
While at Sarusajai stadium, PM Modi will virtually inaugurate or lay the foundation stones for three more projects namely- Assam Petro Chemical Limited’s (APL) 500 TPD-Methanol in Namrup, Launch of beautification project for Rang ghar in Sivasagar, laying of the foundation stone for 4-lane Palasbari-Sualkuchi link bridge.
