Keralam health ministers K. Muraleedharan and his predecessor Veena George accused the central government of making a political decision to deny the state an AIIMS facility. The allegation was made on Thursday during media interactions in Palakkad and Pathanamthitta.
Speaking to reporters, Muraleedharan said the centre repeatedly used excuses to block an AIIMS in Kerala, citing political differences with the state administration. He questioned why Delhi, which already hosts an AIIMS, would have poor health infrastructure. Muraleedharan noted that the centre had initially claimed the state had only offered one site for the hospital, but had since provided additional locations. He referred to the centre’s submission in the Kerala High Court, which argued that under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana no AIIMS had been earmarked for Kerala in any budget announcement, and that the state was prioritised for AIIMS only in weaker healthcare regions.
The state government has welcomed an AIIMS anywhere in Kerala and Muraleedharan said he would write to Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda and attempt to meet him after the court proceedings. He indicated that the state would continue to push for the project.
George, speaking in Pathanamthitta, said that during the LDF government all required documents were submitted to the centre for an AIIMS. She added that the centre had repeatedly denied requests for a nursing college and for upgrading district hospitals, particularly in Wayanad, to medical colleges with central assistance. She concluded that the denial was a political decision and a denial of justice, urging the centre to correct its stance and grant Kerala an AIIMS.
