“Perverse Logic. AIIMS A Necessity For Advanced State": Isaac On Kerala Not Being Considered For AIIMS
The Union government on Tuesday ruled out the establishment of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Kerala. The Centre had earlier stated that the state’s advanced healthcare sector did not necessitate such an institution. Reacting to the latest development, CPI(M) leader and former Kerala finance minister Thomas Isaac called the reasoning “perverse.”
In a response to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare clarified that under the current phase of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), no proposal for an AIIMS in Kerala has been considered. The ministry stated that AIIMS institutions are established as greenfield projects under the AIIMS Act and that there is no provision for upgrading existing hospitals into AIIMS.
The Union government has sanctioned the establishment of 22 AIIMS across various states and Union Territories since the inception of PMSSY. These institutions serve as Institutes of National Importance, providing tertiary medical care and education. The government’s decision not to consider Kerala has been met with disapproval, given the state’s long-standing demand for an AIIMS.
Reacting to this, Thomas Isaac stated, “Despite pleadings for decades, Kerala is denied an AIIMS. Now Minister Nadda has officially explained: Kerala is advanced in health, therefore doesn’t need an AIIMS. Perverse logic. AIIMS is a tertiary institution, a necessity for an advanced state, PHCs are the priority for backward states.”
The issue was previously raised by Kerala Health Minister Veena George, who met Union Health Minister J P Nadda in September 2024. Following the meeting, she had stated that the Centre had assured Kerala’s demand would be “sympathetically considered.” However, Nadda had remarked that Kerala was not given priority as its healthcare system was already advanced. George had emphasised that establishing AIIMS in Kerala would significantly aid integrated research and strengthen the state’s healthcare infrastructure.
